eSIM QR code not working: scan error, error message, or already used

First check whether the eSIM is already listed in SIM management. An error such as code already used often means an earlier scan added the profile successfully. If nothing is listed, scan the code from the eSIM menu over stable Wi-Fi or use the manual SM-DP+ details from your order.

HolySim advice: do not share your QR code in a public screenshot. Treat it as a digital key to your eSIM profile.

Scan an eSIM QR code from the eSIM menu

The regular camera app may recognize an eSIM code as an image or text link, but it does not always install the cellular plan. Start from the cellular settings instead.

On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular > Add eSIM > Use QR Code. On Google Pixel, the path is usually Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > Add SIM. Samsung uses Settings > Connections > SIM manager > Add eSIM > Scan QR code.

Samsung describes both scanning and manually entering an activation code. The exact wording changes between software versions.

The camera cannot focus on the code

Open the QR code on a second screen. Turn up that screen's brightness and disable any dark color filter. Hold the phone directly in front of the code and slowly move it farther away. A blurred, cropped, or heavily compressed image is difficult to read.

Check the following:

• the complete square code is visible;
• there is clear white space around it;
• the screen has no crack or reflection across the code;
• the camera lens is clean;
• the image was not reduced by a chat app;
• you are scanning the installation code rather than an order or payment code.

If in doubt, open the original email or customer portal. Do not use a photo of a photo when the original is available.

The QR code is on the same phone

Preferably use a laptop, tablet, or second phone to display the code. If none is available, check whether your phone can read a QR code from a saved image inside the eSIM installation flow. This option is not available on every model.

Manual installation is more reliable than repeatedly trying with one screen. Look in the HolySim instructions for an SM-DP+ address, activation code, and, if applicable, confirmation code. Copy every character exactly and do not add spaces.

Error message: code is invalid

Invalid can have several causes:

• you are not scanning the eSIM installation code;
• the code belongs to another device or a cancelled order;
• a character is missing from the manually entered code;
• the code has expired;
• the phone cannot add the plan;
• the profile is already installed.

Open SIM management and look for a new line with a generic name such as Business, Travel, or the name of a network partner. If it is listed, rename it if helpful and continue with activation. Scanning it again is unnecessary.

Error message: code has already been used

Stop scanning and do not delete anything. Check every eSIM profile, including profiles that are switched off. A single-use code is often marked as used as soon as the profile has been downloaded successfully.

If the eSIM is on an old or different phone, you cannot always copy it to the new phone yourself. Contact HolySim and state which phone you used for the first scan. Support can assess whether reissue or another activation method is possible.

If the code has never been used on another phone and no profile is present, take a screenshot of the exact message without showing the QR code itself.

The phone asks for an internet connection

The QR code does not contain the complete eSIM profile. The phone uses the details in the code to retrieve the profile online. You therefore need stable Wi-Fi or another working mobile connection.

Airport Wi-Fi with an unaccepted login page does not count as a complete internet connection. Open a website first and complete the Wi-Fi sign-in. During installation, avoid a VPN, corporate filter, or hotel network that may block unknown connections.

Apple lists a Wi-Fi or hotspot connection as a requirement for setting up an eSIM on iPhone, with some regional exceptions for eSIM-only models.

The code scans, but adding it fails

The camera is no longer the problem. Check whether the phone supports eSIM, has no carrier lock, runs current software, and can store another eSIM. Restart the phone and try once more over stable Wi-Fi.

If the phone remains stuck on Activating, leave the profile in place and follow the troubleshooting steps for an eSIM that remains stuck on activating. If you receive a message that the eSIM cannot be added, use the compatibility and installation checks.

When you need a new code

Ask HolySim to investigate if the code demonstrably does not belong to an existing profile, manual entry produces the same error, or the code was consumed by a deleted profile. A new code is not the standard solution for poor Wi-Fi, a carrier lock, or an unsupported phone.

Include your order number, phone model, software version, and error message. State whether the code was previously scanned on this or another phone. Only share the QR code when support requests it through a secure channel.

Sources and editorial review

The installation paths were checked against guidance from Apple and Samsung. Single use, expiry, transfer, and reissue vary by eSIM provider and plan. HolySim can only confirm whether a new activation is possible after reviewing your order. Last substantively reviewed on July 15, 2026.