# QR code installation

> The standard way to set up an eSIM: scanning a provider QR code makes your phone download the eSIM profile automatically in a couple of minutes.

Source: https://viasimo.com/glossary/qr-code-installation/
Also known as: eSIM QR code, QR activation, SM-DP+ QR code

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QR code installation is the standard way to add an eSIM to a phone: you scan a QR code supplied by your provider, and the phone downloads the [eSIM profile](/glossary/esim-profile/) automatically. The square code simply encodes the address of the provider's activation server and a matching activation code, so scanning it saves you typing both by hand.

The process is short. On an iPhone: Settings, then Mobile Data (Cellular in some regions), then Add eSIM, then scan the code. On Android: Settings, then Network and internet or Connections, then Add SIM. The phone contacts the server, downloads the profile and shows a new line within a couple of minutes. Full walkthroughs for both platforms are in our [installation and activation guide](/magazine/how-to-install-and-activate-an-esim/) and the [iPhone eSIM guide](/magazine/esim-for-iphone-complete-guide/).

Four practical points prevent most problems. You need a working internet connection, usually Wi-Fi, during installation, which is the main reason to install before you travel rather than after landing. Most travel eSIM QR codes are single use; once the profile has downloaded, the code is spent, so never delete the profile expecting to rescan it later. You cannot scan a QR code displayed on the same phone that needs it; use manual entry instead (every QR code has an equivalent typed code), show it on another screen, or print it. Finally, installing is not always the same as activating: many plans start their [validity period](/glossary/validity-period/) only when the eSIM first connects to a network abroad, but this varies, so check your plan's terms.

A concrete example: three days before flying to [Morocco](/destinations/morocco/), you buy a plan, receive the QR code by email, scan it over home Wi-Fi and leave the new line switched off. On arrival you enable the line and its data roaming, and you are online while still at the airport. If a scan fails repeatedly, [support](/support/) can supply the manual installation details for your order.