Can't scan the eSIM QR code? 4 ways to install it anyway

The QR code is just a container. Inside it there are two text strings: an SM-DP+ server address and an activation code. If the camera won't read the image, you can still type those strings by hand and the eSIM installs exactly the same way.

Below are the four methods, in the order that solves the problem fastest. All of them work with a VoaSim eSIM, and installation should always be done at home, before you fly.

Why the QR code won't scan

Almost every failed scan has a boring cause. Check these first, in order:

• You're trying to scan the code on the same phone. The screen showing the QR is the screen doing the scanning. It can't work. You need a second device or a printout.
• The image is too small or cropped. Zoom in on the email attachment until the code fills the screen.
• Screen brightness or glare. Raise brightness to maximum and tilt the screen away from lamps and windows.
• Dirty or cracked camera lens. Wipe it and try again about 8-10 inches away.
• Dark mode inverting the image. Some email apps render the code with low contrast. Open the email in a browser instead.
• Phone doesn't support eSIM. Dial *#06#. If no EID appears, the phone can't install any eSIM, from any brand.

If the EID is missing or the phone is carrier-locked, no scanning trick will help. Unlock it with your home carrier first.

Method 1: scan from a second screen

This is the fix in most cases. Open your VoaSim email on a laptop, tablet or a friend's phone, then scan that screen with the phone that will use the eSIM.

iPhone: Settings → Cellular (Mobile Data) → Add eSIM → Use QR Code → point the camera at the other screen.

Android (Samsung, Pixel and most 2020+ models): Settings → Connections or Network & internet → SIM manager / SIMs → Add eSIM or Download a SIM instead → scan.

Tips that make the scan work on the first try: set the second screen to full brightness, zoom the image so the code fills most of the display, hold the phone steady about 8-10 inches away, and avoid direct light bouncing off the glass. If the camera focuses but nothing happens, wait three seconds without moving — eSIM scanners are slower than normal QR readers.

Once it installs, label the line "VoaSim" so you can find it later.

Method 2: manual entry (no QR needed at all)

Your VoaSim email contains the same data in text form: an SM-DP+ address and an activation code. Typing them gives an identical result to scanning.

iPhone: Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM → Use QR Code → Enter Details Manually → paste the SM-DP+ address and the activation code.

Android: SIM manager → Add eSIM → Enter activation code manually (wording varies by brand) → paste the two fields.

Copy and paste rather than retyping. These strings are long, case-sensitive and one wrong character makes the server reject the request. Don't add spaces at the end. Keep the phone on a stable Wi-Fi connection during the download — the profile is pulled from the internet, so a dropped connection is the second most common reason installs fail.

If the screen returns an error, wait a minute and try once more before assuming the code is dead.

Method 3: print it, or forward it

Two low-tech options that work surprisingly well.

1. Print the QR code on paper. Paper has no glare and no backlight, and cameras read it easily. Print it at full size in black and white. This is also the safest backup to carry in your bag if your laptop battery dies at the airport.
2. Forward the email to someone travelling with you and open it on their phone, then scan from their screen.

A printed copy is worth having anyway. If you ever need to reinstall the profile — new phone, factory reset — you'll want that code within reach. Store the email in a folder you can find offline, and take a screenshot of the SM-DP+ text as well.

Remember that installing does not start your plan. With VoaSim, the days begin counting at the eSIM's first connection to a network at your destination, so you can install days ahead without losing time.

Method 4: eSIM Rescue and human support

If the profile refuses to install, or it installs but shows no signal after landing, stop guessing and run the free eSIM Rescue tool. It diagnoses an eSIM of any brand — not only VoaSim — and walks you through the settings that usually cause a dead line: data roaming off for the eSIM line, the wrong line selected for mobile data, or APN issues.

Still stuck? Write to hola@voasim.com or use the on-site chat. Support is human, and if you left a WhatsApp number at checkout you get a heads-up there too. VoaSim's guarantee is simple: if the eSIM will not connect and support cannot fix it, you get a 100% refund.

You can also read the how VoaSim works page before you buy if you want to see the rules in writing.

VoaSim prices while you're sorting this out

One price per duration, the same for all 170 destinations covered, data truly unlimited — no cap, no throttling, no hidden fair-use clause. Today's prices include the 15% promo:

Trips of 1-4 days pay the 5-day package, and a second eSIM in the same order gets 10% extra off. The Europe plan covers 50 countries with one eSIM, including the UK, Switzerland, Turkey, Norway and Iceland. Check your exact price in the simulator.

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