Learn about “what is SM-DP+ Address”, how it works, and its importance with eSIM activation. Then learn how to find and set it up for eSIM on iPhone and Android.
If your phone is eSIM compatible and you want to use eSIM, then you need to set it up. This is when you may have heard about SM-DP+ Address. This is a term often appearing in the email sent from your eSIM provider that consists of your purchased eSIM information.
In this post, we will explain what SM-DP+ Address is, how it works, why it is important to your eSIM activation, how to find it, how to set it up on iPhone and Android. Let’s get started!
In this article
SM-DP+ Address, standing for “Subscription Manager Data Preparation Protocol Plus”, is a technology used in mobile networks to securely manage and activate SIM cards (or eSIMs) for your mobile devices, such as smartphones or tablets.
Simply put, think of an SM-DP Address like a unique mailing address for your SIM card where the mobile network sends important information to get your SIM card up and running on their network.
While eSIM can mostly be activated by scanning a QR code consisting of an eSIM profile inside, there can be cases where you may need to or choose to activate the eSIM manually.
Here is the example of SM-DP+ address of an eSIM from Gigago.com:
SM-DP+ Address = rsp-eu.simlessly.com
Activation code: 305316A7A54A1B5605903BF03D9531
The SM-DP+ Address works as part of a secure communication process between your mobile device, the SIM card inserted in, and the mobile network. It allows the network to send necessary information and configurations to your SIM card, enabling the activation and management of services associated with your mobile device.
When you buy a new phone or a new SIM card, the mobile network assigns a specific SM-DP+ Address to that specific SIM card. This address is like a digital location where your SIM card is registered.
In theory, the SM-DP+ Address is required to establish a secure connection with the mobile network operator. It allows the mobile network to send essential information to your SIM card or eSIM.
Without SM-DP+ Address, your device will not know where to fetch its (e)SIM profile from. This information can include things like your phone number, network settings, and data plans. By sending this information to your SIM card’s SM-DP+ Address, the mobile network ensures that your SIM card is properly activated and ready to use.
This significance is particularly important in the current circumstances where data security and cyber threats are main concerns.
There are 02 main ways to find the SM-DP+ Address:
Some devices may also display the SM-DP+ address in the settings menu under the details of a cellular plan. However, it is best to refer to the device and documents sent by your eSIM provider to get more instructions.
The SM-DP+ Address is set up by default in the eUICC. Therefore, to activate the eSIM, you just need to scan the QR code. However, if the QR code does not work or is lost due to certain reasons, you will need to enter the SM-DP+ Address manually.
Below we instruct you to set up the SM-DP+ address for eSIM activation on iPhone and Android.
Remember that this manual activation process should be done only if the eSIM installation has failed automatically.
To set up the SM-DP+ address on iPhone (or to manually enter the eSIM profile), you can take these steps:
Notes:
The process to set up the SM-DP+ Address on Android is similar to that on iPhone:
eUICC is a piece of software of a cell phone that acts as a secure container to store the eSIM information, aka eSIM profile.
An eSIM profile is a virtual profile storing the subscription information of the eSIM, including data and network settings, phone number (if any). With such a profile, your phone can connect to a cellular network.
Not necessarily. The eSIM and its profile will be set up automatically when scanning the QR code. So, it will not be necessary to execute this setup.
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