3 MIN READ
A QR code that refuses to scan is frustrating, especially when you are standing there with your phone in hand. The good news is that there is a backup route: you can enter the same information yourself.
Try the simple fixes first
A few simple things are worth trying before anything else:
- Make the QR code bigger on the screen that shows it.
- Show the code on a second device, because the phone you are installing on cannot scan its own screen. A printed copy works too.
- Turn up the brightness and hold the phone steady, a little way back from the screen.
- Check that you are on stable Wi-Fi, since the phone needs a connection to complete the setup.
If the code scans and then the setup stops, restart the phone and try once more.
Where your activation details are
The same information that sits behind the QR code is also available as text. You can find it in two places:
- My eSIMs, after you sign in.
- The installation email, sent to the address on your order.
Whichever you use, treat what you find as private. Your QR code and activation details are only for your own eSIM, and anyone who has them could use it.
Enter the details by hand
When scanning will not work, use manual installation. The exact wording depends on your phone's brand and software version, so menu names may differ from ours. In general:
- Connect to Wi-Fi and open the screen where you add an eSIM.
- Choose the option to enter the details manually, instead of scanning.
- Enter the SM-DP+ address and the activation code.
- Confirm and follow the prompts.
Think of the SM-DP+ address as the place your phone contacts to download the eSIM, and the activation code as the key that proves the download is yours. Your activation code is one long line of text that starts with LPA:1$. How that line splits into two parts is the standard format and general knowledge, and we have not confirmed it against every eSIM. If your phone asks for the two parts separately, the address comes first and the code is the part after the next $. If your phone accepts the whole line in one box, you can paste it in as it is.
Do not keep retrying a code that says it is used
If your phone says the code is invalid or has already been used, please stop rather than trying again and again. Keep the message on screen or write down what it says, and move on to the next step.
When to ask for help
If you have tried the fixes and entered the details by hand and it still does not work, write to support@choesim.com. Include your order number and a short description of what your phone says, so we can look into it without asking you to repeat yourself. Please do not paste your full QR code or activation code into a public place, and do not post a screenshot of it.
If you have not yet checked that your phone supports eSIM and is carrier-unlocked, our device check page is a good place to start, because a phone that cannot use eSIM will not show the option to add one.