You're staring at your iPhone screen, frustrated. You just wanted to set up that new travel eSIM or switch carriers, but instead of "Welcome," you're looking at a blank box asking for an SM-DP+ address. Honestly, it feels like the phone is suddenly speaking a different language.
It's annoying.
Most of the time, we just scan a QR code and magic happens. But when that QR code fails—or if you never got one in the first place—you're stuck in manual mode. Basically, your iPhone is asking you for the specific "home address" of your cellular plan in the cloud. Without this, your device has no idea where to go to download your digital SIM.
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What is an SM-DP+ Address Anyway?
Let’s skip the heavy technical jargon for a second. SM-DP+ stands for Subscription Manager Data Preparation. Think of it as a secure warehouse in the sky. This warehouse stores your specific phone number, data plan, and network credentials.
The SM-DP+ address is just the URL (like a website link) that tells your iPhone exactly which warehouse to visit.
When you type this in, your iPhone knocks on the door of that server. If you also have the right Activation Code, the server recognizes you, hands over the "keys" to your plan, and installs the eSIM profile onto your phone's chip. If you get one character wrong, the connection breaks. It’s that sensitive.
Finding Your SM-DP+ Address on iPhone
You won't find this address hidden in your iPhone settings. You can't just dig through "General" or "About" to see it because it doesn't live on your phone yet. It comes from your carrier.
Usually, it's buried inside that QR code you were sent. If the scan failed, you can sometimes "decode" the QR code using a different device to see the raw text. It usually looks something like this: LPA:1$smdp.provider.com$TOKEN.
In that string, smdp.provider.com is the address you're looking for.
Common Places to Look:
- Confirmation Emails: Most travel eSIM providers like Airalo, Holafly, or Nomad put the manual entry details right below the QR code in the email.
- Carrier Apps: If you're using a major carrier like T-Mobile or Verizon, their app often has a "Manual Setup" section under your account settings.
- Customer Support: If you're really stuck, just ask them: "I need the SM-DP+ address and activation code for manual entry." They’ll know exactly what you mean.
How to Manually Enter the SM-DP+ Address
If the camera method is a no-go, here is the path you need to follow.
First, make sure you are on a stable Wi-Fi network. This is the part people forget. You are trying to download a cellular plan, so you can't use the cellular data you don't have yet to do it.
- Open Settings and tap Cellular (it might say Mobile Data depending on where you live).
- Tap Add eSIM.
- Wait for the options to pop up, then tap Use QR Code.
- Since you aren't scanning, tap Enter Details Manually at the bottom of the screen.
- Now you'll see the fields. Carefully type the SM-DP+ Address.
- Enter the Activation Code (sometimes called a Matching ID).
- Leave the Confirmation Code blank unless your carrier specifically gave you a 4-digit PIN.
One tiny typo—even an extra space at the end—will trigger a "Profile Download Failed" error. I've seen it happen a hundred times.
Why Does It Keep Failing?
You've entered everything perfectly, but it still won't activate. It’s maddening.
Often, the issue isn't the address at all. It's the "EID" or the "IMEI." Your carrier needs to have your phone's digital ID registered in their system before that SM-DP+ server will talk to your iPhone. If they haven't "released" the profile to your specific hardware, the address is just a dead end.
Also, check your iOS version. Apple pushes updates for eSIM compatibility fairly often. If you’re running an old version of iOS 17 or 18, the handshake between the phone and the server might just fail for no apparent reason.
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Real-World Examples of Addresses
Just to give you an idea of what these look like, here are some common formats.
Important: Don't just guess. These change based on the specific server your plan is hosted on.
- Truphone:
rsp.truphone.com- Global eSIMs:
lpa.us.worldorprod.smdp-plus.rsp.goog- Generic carrier formats:
smdp.carriername.com
Most modern setups are moving toward "Push Provisioning" where the carrier just sends a notification to your iPhone and you tap "Install." But until every carrier on earth catches up, we're stuck with these manual addresses.
Troubleshooting the "Invalid Code" Error
If you get an error saying the code is invalid, try these three things before calling support.
First, toggle your Airplane Mode. It sounds silly, but it resets the radio stack and can clear out a "stuck" activation attempt. Second, check if you already have too many eSIMs installed. iPhones can usually hold 8 or 10, but only two can be active at once. If your "storage" for SIMs is full, the new one won't download.
Lastly, make sure your iPhone is actually Unlocked. If you bought your phone on a payment plan from a carrier, they might have locked the eSIM slots. If the phone is locked to AT&T, it will reject an SM-DP+ address from a different provider every single time.
Next Steps for Your iPhone eSIM Setup
Check your email for the Activation Code and compare the SM-DP+ address string character-by-character. Ensure your Wi-Fi is active and strong before attempting the manual entry again. If the "Details Manually" screen still throws an error after three attempts, your carrier likely needs to refresh the EID registration on their end. Log into your carrier dashboard or contact their technical support to verify that the eSIM profile is "Ready for Download" and not stuck in a "Pending" state.