Written for buyers installing from a single device, in the UK, Turkey, Germany, Spain and 50+ other countries.

How to install an eSIM without scanning a QR code

A QR code is only a picture of one line of text. Type that line instead and the install is identical - here is the text, and where to put it.

$25

A QR code is only a picture of the text LPA:1$address$code - typing it installs the identical profile
Works when you have one phone, a broken camera, a printed code or a QR you cannot scan
iPhone asks for SM-DP+ address and activation code in separate fields
Android usually takes the whole activation string in a single field
Leave the confirmation code empty: our profiles do not set one
A UK number installs once and is never reissued, so install on the phone you will keep

Buy UK eSIM - $25 How it works →

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The awkward moment comes right after payment: the QR code is on the screen of the phone that is supposed to scan it. A phone cannot photograph its own display, and buying a second device to hold a picture is absurd. This is the most common install problem there is, and it has a clean answer that most providers never mention.

A QR code carries no magic. It encodes exactly one line of text, in a format the GSMA defined for this purpose: LPA:1$ followed by an SM-DP+ address, then a dollar sign, then an activation code. Your phone reads that text out of the picture and then throws the picture away. Give it the text directly and you get the same profile, on the same line, with nothing missing.

What is actually inside the QR code

Point any QR reader at an eSIM code and you will see something like LPA:1$smdp.example.com$K2-9F4C-A81D. The first part after the prefix is the SM-DP+ address, the server that holds your profile. The second is the activation code, the one-time ticket that tells that server which profile is yours. There is an optional third field for a confirmation code, which most operators, including us, do not use.

That is the entire payload. It is why manual installation is not a downgrade or a workaround: it is the same handshake, minus the camera. Both routes end with your phone contacting the same server and downloading the same profile.

Three ways to install without scanning

The fastest is the one-tap install link. Recent versions of iOS and Android register a handler for eSIM setup links, so tapping the install button on your order page opens the system eSIM sheet with every field already filled. Nothing to type, nothing to scan. If your version does not support it the link simply does nothing, and you fall back to the next option.

The second is manual entry, which works on every eSIM-capable phone ever shipped. On iPhone you paste the SM-DP+ address and the activation code into two separate boxes. On Android you usually paste the whole LPA:1$... line into a single box. The third option, if you have a second screen nearby, is to open your order on a laptop or tablet and scan that screen with the phone. All three produce the same result.

What your order page gives you

Every order shows the QR image, the SM-DP+ address, the activation code and the full activation string, each with a copy button, plus the one-tap install links for iOS and Android. Copy rather than retype: activation codes are long, case sensitive, and a single wrong character produces an error message that explains nothing.

One limit worth knowing before you start, because it is not reversible. For a UK number, installation happens once. Typing the details manually is that one installation, not a spare copy of it, and a UK number profile that has been installed and then deleted is never reissued and is not refunded. Travel data eSIMs are more forgiving and can be issued a fresh QR. Install on the device you intend to keep the line on, and contact support before any factory reset.

Install an eSIM by typing the details

1
Get on Wi-Fi first
Downloading a profile needs a working internet connection. If this is your only phone and you are about to change its mobile settings, connect to Wi-Fi before you begin so the download cannot fail halfway.
2
Open your order and copy the details
Your order page lists the SM-DP+ address, the activation code and the full activation string, each with a copy button. Keep that tab open in the background.
3
Try the one-tap install link
Tap the install button for your platform. On recent iOS and Android versions the system eSIM sheet opens with the fields already populated, and you can skip straight to confirming.
4
Otherwise open the manual entry screen
On iPhone: Settings, then Cellular, then Add eSIM, then Use QR Code, and choose Enter Details Manually at the bottom. On Android: Settings, then Network and internet, then SIMs, then add or download a SIM, and look for the manual entry option on the scanner screen.
5
Paste the details and leave the confirmation code empty
iPhone asks for the SM-DP+ address and the activation code separately. Android usually wants the whole LPA:1$... line in one field. If a confirmation code is requested, leave it blank and continue: our profiles do not use one.
6
Label the line and choose what it is for
Give the new line a name you will recognise, then set whether it handles calls, SMS, data or a combination. On a UK number, keep your existing line as the data line, since the UK number carries voice and SMS only.

Questions & answers

Can I install an eSIM without scanning a QR code?

Yes, on every eSIM-capable phone. The QR code contains one line of text in the format LPA:1$SM-DP+ address$activation code, and both iOS and Android accept that text typed in by hand. The resulting profile is identical to the one you would get by scanning. Recent versions also support a one-tap install link that fills the fields for you.

My phone asks for a confirmation code. What do I enter?

Nothing. Leave the field empty and continue. A confirmation code is an optional extra field in the eSIM standard that operators can use as a second check, and ours do not set one. An empty box looks like a missing step, which is why this question comes up so often.

Is manual installation a second copy of my eSIM?

No. It is the same single installation, taken through a different door. For a UK number the profile installs once, so whether you scan or type, that is the one install you get. A UK number profile that has been deleted is never reissued and is not refunded. Travel data eSIMs can be issued a fresh QR if something goes wrong.

Do I need an internet connection to install manually?

Yes. Your phone contacts the SM-DP+ server to download the profile, so it needs Wi-Fi or a working mobile connection during the install. Connect to Wi-Fi first, especially if this is your only phone and its mobile data is what you are about to change.

The activation code was rejected. What went wrong?

Almost always one of four things: a typing error in a long case-sensitive code, a stray space at the start or end from copying, no internet connection at the moment of install, or a profile that was already installed once. Copy and paste rather than retyping. If the code is genuinely spent, contact support with your order number rather than trying it repeatedly.

Should I share my activation string with anyone?

No. Treat it like a key rather than a reference number. Anyone who has that string can install the profile before you do, and for a single-use line that means losing it. Do not paste it into a public forum, a chat group or a screenshot on social media.

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