SM-DP+ Address and Activation Code: Installing an eSIM by Hand

Every eSIM arrives as a QR code, and almost every eSIM can also be installed without one. That matters more often than you would think: the QR might be on the same phone you are installing to, the camera might refuse to focus, or the code might be printed badly on a receipt.

Underneath, an eSIM QR code is a text string in a standard format. Scanning it just fills in a form for you.

What is actually in the QR code

The string starts with a prefix identifying it as an eSIM activation, followed by the SM-DP+ server address, followed by the activation code. The parts are separated by dollar signs. Some providers include an optional confirmation code as well.

• SM-DP+ address. A domain name, like a website address. It is where your profile is stored, waiting to be collected.
• Activation code. A long string of letters and digits, sometimes called a matching ID. It tells the server which stored profile belongs to the phone asking.
• Confirmation code. Optional. An extra password some providers add. Most travel eSIMs do not use one, and the field can be left empty.

SM-DP+ stands for Subscription Manager Data Preparation. You do not need to care what it manages, only that it is the machine holding your profile until your phone asks for it.

Installing by hand on iPhone

• Settings, then Cellular or Mobile Service. Depending on your region's wording.
• Add eSIM, then Use QR Code. The camera opens. Ignore it.
• Tap Enter Details Manually. It is at the bottom of the camera screen and easy to miss.
• Fill in SM-DP+ Address and Activation Code. Leave the confirmation code empty unless your provider gave you one.
• Wait on wifi or another working line. The phone has to download the profile over the internet. This is the step that catches people out at the airport.

Installing by hand on Android

• Settings, then Network and internet, then SIMs. Some manufacturers call it Connections, then SIM manager.
• Add eSIM, or Download a SIM instead. Wording varies more on Android than it does on iPhone.
• Look for the help link on the scanner screen. Usually Need help, then Enter it manually. On Samsung it can be Enter activation code.
• Paste the full string if there is only one field. Some Android versions accept the whole activation string, prefix and dollar signs included, rather than separate boxes.

• Scanning a QR code and typing two fields are the same operation. One of them keeps working when the camera will not.

When manual entry is the only way

• The QR is on the phone you are installing to. You cannot scan a screen with the same screen. Typing it in is the fix, not a second device.
• The camera will not read it. Low contrast, glare, a small print on a receipt, a cracked lens.
• You only have the text. Some providers send the address and code as text and no image at all.
• You are installing on a device with no camera. Some tablets and connected laptops.

Why it fails, in order of likelihood

• The profile was already downloaded. Activation codes are generally single use. Once a profile has been installed, deleting it does not free the code. You need a replacement from the provider, not another attempt.
• A typo in the address or code. Zero against the letter O, one against the lowercase L. Copy and paste beats typing every time.
• No internet during install. The download needs a connection. Wifi, or your home line still working, before you switch anything off.
• The phone is carrier locked. It will refuse profiles from other operators. Only the carrier that sold the phone can unlock it.
• The phone has no eSIM chip. Check for an EID first, because without one no profile will install from anybody.

Note what is not on the list: being in the wrong country. Installing is not the same as activating. A single country plan can usually be installed anywhere and simply will not start until you reach its network, while regional and global plans start wherever you are.

Keep a copy somewhere sensible

The single most common way people lose an eSIM is storing the QR as a screenshot on the phone that will be wiped, or in a chat they later clear. Save the SM-DP+ address and activation code as text somewhere outside the phone, at least until the profile is installed and working.

This matters more with us than with most providers, and we would rather say so. We have no accounts, no email and no name on file, which is the point of the product. It also means there is no dashboard to log back into if you lose the details, so keep them until the eSIM is running.

→ Installed but still no signal? Read nine reasons an eSIM does not work and how to fix each

Where Cypher eSIM stands

We show the QR with the installation details next to it, so manual entry is always available rather than something support has to dig out. Data plans cover 180+ countries from about $1.20 depending on destination at the time of writing, plans with a real mobile number start at $14.84, the Europe plans are $37.38 for 20GB over 30 days with calls and 200 texts, and Global Lite is $56.07 across 66 countries. Payment is crypto only: USDT on TRC-20, BEP-20, Arbitrum and Solana, plus BTC, ETH, SOL, USDC, DAI, XMR and TON. No Lightning. If an eSIM is genuinely faulty, including a profile that will not install on a compatible phone, we replace it within 24 hours. A carrier locked handset is not covered by that, because the problem is not the profile.

FAQ

What is an SM-DP+ address?

It is the address of the server holding your eSIM profile until your phone downloads it. SM-DP+ stands for Subscription Manager Data Preparation. It looks like a domain name and it is one of the two fields hidden inside every eSIM QR code.

What is an eSIM activation code?

A long string of letters and numbers, sometimes called a matching ID, that tells the SM-DP+ server which stored profile belongs to the phone asking for it. It is the second field inside the QR code, and it is normally valid for a single installation.

How do I enter an eSIM manually on iPhone?

Settings, then Cellular, then Add eSIM, then Use QR Code, then Enter Details Manually at the bottom of the camera screen. Fill in the SM-DP+ address and the activation code, and leave the confirmation code blank unless you were given one.

How do I enter an eSIM manually on Android?

Settings, then Network and internet, then SIMs, then add or download a SIM, then look for the help link on the scanner screen and choose to enter it manually. Some Android versions accept the whole activation string in one field instead of separate boxes.

Why does it say the profile is already installed?

Because activation codes are generally single use and that one has been used. Deleting the profile from your phone does not release it. You need a replacement code from the provider rather than another attempt with the same one.

Do I need internet to install an eSIM?

Yes. The phone downloads the profile from the SM-DP+ server, so you need wifi or another working line at the moment of installation. This is why installing before you travel, rather than in the arrivals hall, is the easier order of operations.