I have an eSIM sent to me as a QR code in an email, but the image isn't labelled and doesn't show as an attachment. As such, I can't reach it with VoiceOver.
Other than manually copying and pasting the SM-DP+ address and verification code in to Settings, how do I add this to my iPhone?
@jscholes If you have access to another screen, can you put it up on that, open your iPhone's camera and just scan it?
@FreakyFwoof Probably, and I'll most likely just use the manual activation method anyway. I was just trying to figure out how I would do this with no additional device or textual credentials.
@jscholes Screen recognition to double-tap on the image perhaps?
@twynn With screen recognition on, I couldn't find it among all of the surrounding offers to download an app and watch an installation video on YouTube.
@jscholes Ah... If you know it's in view, could you not screenshot it and find the QR code that way? I think I did that once with little difficulty.
@twynn I took a screenshot and opened it in the Photos app. What do you do from there to find and utilise the QR code?
@jscholes 1. Take screenshot.
2. Activate Detect Text button at bottom-right corner.
3. Find and activate the "Detected data, Machine readable code" button.
@twynn Well, I suppose it kind of worked. There was a button for the detected machine-readable code, but when I double tapped it I only got a context menu with copy and dismiss buttons.
@twynn That said, I did manage to find the QR code this time with screen recognition, and when I triple tapped there was an "add eSIM" button. So, success.
Thanks for the tips as always. I didn't know about the data classification stuff when detecting text in a screenshot.
@jscholes Yeah. iOS works well until it doesn't, then it's complete frustration as you deviate from Apple's all-encompassing vision of standard usage. It's not great, but I am still more efficient on it than Android. Bummer. Glad you got it working though, even if the Q code bit didn't work as expected.
Mar 10, 2026, 10:16 AM@jscholes @twynn I'm curious which app was showing this as an unlabeled image, and whether a different mail app would have worked better. I only learned about the long-press/Add ESim thing recently, and knowing that, I would probably just save the email to PDF/HTML/something, modify as-needed and copy from there. But it's really rare for me to see images in emails that are not touchable with VoiceOver, hence the curiosity.
@jscholes Wood pointing your phone at a mirror while focuses on that email work?
@Cristobalm you mean with the front facing camera?
@jscholes Yes with screen curtain off.
@Cristobalm Creative. I like it!
@jscholes 👍. You figure not everyone has multiple smart devices where they can point one at the other in such a scenario.
@jscholes I find the emailed codes a problem, honestly. I like to sign into the esim provider and get the address or the apple esim link. The email is great if you want to use the QR, but I never do.