eSIM QR code will not install: every error message decoded

The eSIM QR code is a one time key. Scan it, the phone downloads a profile from the seller's server, and the key is spent. Nearly every installation error is one of four things: the key was already spent, the key expired, the phone cannot reach the server, or the phone is not allowed to use the profile. The error message on screen tells you which, if you know how to read it.

Here is every message we have seen across the 61 sellers we track, what it means, and the fix.

First, the right way to scan

Do not use the Camera app. Both iPhone and Android have an eSIM installer and it handles errors far better.

• iPhone: Settings, Cellular, Add eSIM (or Add Cellular Plan on older iOS), Use QR Code. Point at the code.
• Android: Settings, Connections, SIM manager, Add eSIM, then scan (Samsung). Pixel: Settings, Network and internet, SIMs, Add SIM, then scan.

If the code is on the same phone you are installing on, you cannot scan it. Use manual entry instead: the activation email contains an SM DP+ address and an activation code, and both installers have an Enter Details Manually option. On iOS 17.4 and later you can also long press a QR image in Photos or Mail and choose Add eSIM.

The messages, decoded

This code is no longer valid

The most common one. Two causes.

• Already used. The profile installed, possibly without you noticing, or a first attempt got far enough to spend the key. Check Settings, Cellular. If a new line is there, the install worked; turn it on and enable roaming.
• Expired. Most sellers give 30 to 90 days from purchase to install. Buy in March for a September trip and the code is dead.

Fix: if the line is not on the phone, ask the seller for a new code. Say the original never installed. Every seller we track reissues in this case.

Unable to add cellular plan, or eSIM cannot be added

The phone reached the server and was refused. Usually one of:

• Carrier lock. Settings, General, About, Carrier Lock must say No SIM restrictions. A locked phone will refuse or, worse, accept the profile and then never use it. See our guide to locked phones and travel eSIMs.
• Too many eSIMs. iPhones hold 8 to 10 profiles, Androids vary from 5 to 8. Old travel eSIMs pile up. Delete expired ones.
• Two lines already active. Only two lines can be active at once. The new one can still install; you may need to turn one off to use it.

Activation failed, or could not complete cellular plan change

The phone started the download and lost the connection. Usually WiFi that dropped, a VPN, or a captive portal on hotel WiFi that had not been clicked through.

Fix: confirm the WiFi actually loads a website, turn any VPN off, and try again. If the code is now reported as used, the profile may have installed partially. Check Settings, Cellular, delete any half installed line with no network name, then ask for a new code.

Cellular plan not supported on this device, or incompatible

The phone does not support eSIM at all, or supports it only in some regions. iPhones sold in mainland China have no eSIM. Some Android models sold in one region have eSIM disabled in another. Some budget Androids advertise eSIM support that only works with the manufacturer's own carrier partners.

Fix: dial *#06#. If the display shows an EID, the phone has eSIM hardware. If not, it does not, and no code will work. The seller should refund an unused plan bought for an incompatible phone; keep the screenshot.

The QR code will not scan at all

Glare on the screen you are scanning from, the code displayed too small, or the phone camera not focusing. Enlarge the code to fill the screen, dim the brightness of the screen you scan from, and hold the phone still at about 20 centimetres. If you are scanning a printout, flatten it. If nothing works, manual entry always does.

Installed, but no service or no internet

This is not an installation error. The profile is on the phone. What is missing is a setting: data roaming on for the eSIM line, the eSIM chosen as the data line, or a coverage problem. Our guide to eSIM not working after landing goes through the fixes in order.

The one that is not on the list

Sometimes the eSIM installs, connects, and then a day later disappears from the phone. This is almost always a device management profile from an employer, or a phone bought second hand that still has a management profile on it, removing profiles it did not install. Settings, General, VPN and Device Management shows what is installed. If there is a management profile you do not recognise, that is the culprit.

Before you ask for a new code

1. Settings, Cellular. Is there a line you did not expect? If so, the install worked.
2. Delete any half installed line: one with no carrier name that never connects.
3. Turn off VPN. Confirm WiFi loads a page.
4. Try manual entry with the SM DP+ address and activation code from the email.
5. Then ask. Tell the seller the phone model, the exact message, and that the line is not present in settings. Reissues are usually same day.

What good sellers do differently

The best sellers show the eSIM's install status in their app or account page, so you can see whether the profile was downloaded without guessing. They reissue codes without argument. And they send the manual entry details in the same email as the QR code, so the fallback is already in your inbox. We weigh support quality in our rankings for this reason: a cheap plan that leaves you stuck at the airport is not cheap.