How to Get an eSIM QR Code and Install It.

To get an eSIM QR code, buy the plan first: GEO sends the QR code in your order email, and on Android you can also buy and install through the Simora app. Then open your phone's cellular or mobile settings, tap Add eSIM, and scan the code on Wi-Fi before you travel.

The QR code is not the eSIM itself. It is a one-time pointer that tells your phone where to download the plan, so treat it like a ticket rather than a picture you can reuse. This article does not lock a price.

Key facts

• You get the QR code after you pay, not before. GEO delivers it by order email, and the Simora app on Google Play can manage installs on Android.
• Scanning the code downloads one eSIM profile onto one phone. Most travel eSIM profiles are single-device.
• Once installed, you usually cannot use the same QR code on a second phone.
• If the code is on the same phone you are setting up, you can tap and hold it on iOS 17.4 or later, or enter the details manually.
• A top-up for the same destination applies to the eSIM you already have, so it does not need a new QR code.
• Most installs take about two minutes once you have the code. Do it on Wi-Fi before you fly.

Where the eSIM QR code comes from

Every eSIM QR code is issued by whoever sells the plan. For your home line that is your carrier. For a travel data line from GEO it is the order itself: pick a destination on country plans, pay, and the QR code arrives in the order email. GEO's how it works page describes the same flow, and also points Android users to the Simora app for buying and managing installs from the phone.

If the email has not arrived, check spam and promotions folders, and make sure you typed the right address at checkout. If it is still missing, contact support with your order details rather than buying a second plan.

How to set up an eSIM with the QR code on iPhone

Apple's Set up eSIM on iPhone page lists the QR code as one of several ways to add an eSIM:

• During setup of a new iPhone, tap Use QR code on the Set Up Cellular screen and follow the prompts.
• On an iPhone that is already set up, open the Camera app and point it at the QR code, then tap the Cellular Plan Detected notification.
• Tap Continue, then Add Cellular Plan. If you are asked for a confirmation code, enter the one that came with the plan.

Label the new line after the country so you can tell it from your home line. For the full iPhone walk-through, see Add an eSIM From a QR Code and the iPhone install guide.

How to set up an eSIM with the QR code on Android

On most Android phones, open Settings, then Connections or Network and internet, then SIM manager or SIMs. Tap Add eSIM or Add mobile plan, and scan the QR code when the camera opens. Labels differ by brand and Android version, so look for the control that adds a mobile plan.

Step-by-step guides are in Add an eSIM on Android and Set Up an eSIM on a Google Pixel.

When the QR code is on the same phone

A common snag: you opened the order email on the phone you want to set up, and a phone camera cannot scan its own screen. You have a few options:

• On iPhone with iOS 17.4 or later, Apple says you can tap and hold a QR code shown in the default email app or a browser, then tap Add eSIM.
• Open the email on a laptop, tablet, or second phone and scan the code from that screen.
• Enter the details manually. On iPhone, Apple lists Settings, then Cellular or Mobile Data, then Add Cellular Plan, then Enter Details Manually. Android phones usually have a similar option on the scan screen.

Manual entry needs the install details that sit behind the QR code, usually an SM-DP+ address and an activation code. If your order does not show them, ask support for them rather than guessing. Type them exactly, since a single wrong character will fail.

Why an eSIM QR code usually works only once

When you scan the code, the phone downloads an eSIM profile tied to that device. GEO's how it works page says most travel eSIM profiles are single-device, and once installed you usually cannot move the same QR code to a second phone. That has a few practical effects:

• Scan on the phone you will actually travel with. A test scan on another phone can use up the code.
• Do not delete the installed line in the hope of reinstalling it later. It may not come back from the same code.
• If you switch phones before you install, contact support with your order email before scanning.
• Each traveler and each phone needs its own plan and its own QR code.

If a download stopped halfway and no line appeared, follow Reinstall an eSIM When the Download Stops. If the line installed but will not connect, try eSIM Not Activating? Fixes That Work. Moving to a new iPhone is covered in How to Transfer eSIM From One iPhone to Another.

Before you scan

• Your phone supports eSIM and is not carrier-locked. Check with Check Whether Your Phone Supports eSIM.
• You are on Wi-Fi you trust, at home, with time to spare.
• The plan covers every country on your route. GEO covers 200+ countries.
• You keep the order email until the trip is over.
• You know to turn on the travel line and its data roaming when you land.

Most GEO plans are data-only, so your own number stays on your home line for calls and texts. See Dual SIM: Home Number and Travel Data for how the two lines share one phone.

Related guides

• Your First Install of a Travel eSIM
• Add an eSIM From a QR Code
• Add an eSIM on Android
• Test Your eSIM Before Traveling
• How to Convert to eSIM From a Physical SIM

Apple, iPhone, and iOS are trademarks of Apple Inc. Android, Google Pixel, and Google Play are trademarks of Google LLC. GEO is not affiliated with Apple, Google, or any carrier named here. Menus and steps can change between software versions, so check the official help pages before you install.

FAQ

How do I get an eSIM QR code?

Buy the plan. GEO sends the QR code in your order email, and Android users can also buy and install through the Simora app.

How do I set up an eSIM with a QR code?

Open your phone's cellular or mobile settings, tap Add eSIM or Add mobile plan, and scan the code on Wi-Fi. On iPhone you can also scan with the Camera app.

Can I scan the QR code on the same phone?

Not with the camera. On iOS 17.4 or later you can tap and hold the code in the email, or you can show it on another screen or enter the details manually.

Can I use the same eSIM QR code twice?

Usually not. Most travel eSIM profiles are single-device, so once installed the same code generally will not work on another phone.

Do I need a new QR code to top up?

No. GEO says a top-up for the same destination applies to your existing eSIM, with no new QR code.

What if I lost the QR code email?

Search your inbox and spam folder first. If it is gone, contact support with your order details instead of buying again.