Short answer
Apple sets up an eSIM on iPhone with a QR code, by entering the details manually, or, on iOS 17.4 or later, by tapping a carrier link. The Japan eSIM guide is the write-up for Fetch my eSIM and for where the QR code and manual details appear, and this page does not repeat those steps.
When to install stays with the Japan eSIM guide. Whether the iPhone needs a connection before it can add an eSIM is already covered in Do I need a network to install a Japan eSIM before I fly or after I land?.
Fact table
As of 2026-10-21
Each claim names its source. The full source list, with the date each page was read, is below.
| Claim | Source |
|---|---|
| After the iPhone is set up, Apple says to open the Camera app and scan the QR code, then tap the Cellular Plan Detected notification. If you are using iOS 17.4 or later and the QR code arrives in the default email app or a browser, Apple says to tap and hold the QR code, then tap Add eSIM. Apple then says to tap Continue, then Add Cellular Plan. If the iPhone asks for a confirmation code, Apple says to enter the number your carrier provided. | Apple Support, set up eSIM |
| During iPhone setup, Apple says that when the Set Up Cellular screen appears, you tap Use QR code and follow the onscreen instructions. | Apple Support, set up eSIM |
| Apple says manual entry is Settings, then Cellular or Mobile Data, then Add Cellular Plan, then Enter Details Manually at the bottom of the screen. | Apple Support, set up eSIM |
| Apple says a carrier might send a link instead of a QR code. On an iPhone with iOS 17.4 or later, you tap that link. When the Activate New eSIM notification appears, Apple says to tap Allow, then Continue. Apple's name for this method is a carrier link. | Apple Support, set up eSIM |
| Apple lists eSIM Carrier Activation separately from the QR code, the manual entry, and the carrier link. That path is the notification Carrier Cellular Plan Ready to Be Installed. | Apple Support, set up eSIM |
| Apple says that if your carrier supports activating an eSIM in an app, you download that carrier's app from the App Store. That sentence is about a carrier that offers an app. | Apple Support, set up eSIM |
| The iPhone User Guide's QR path, after setup, is Settings, Cellular, Set Up Cellular or Add eSIM, then Use QR Code. The guide says you may need to tap Other Options first, then position the iPhone so the QR code appears in the frame, or enter the details manually. It says you may be asked for a confirmation code provided by your carrier. | iPhone User Guide, cellular service |
| The iPhone User Guide lists Travel eSIM as a separate row from the QR path: Settings, Cellular, Add eSIM, then View Travel Options. That row points to Apple's article on using eSIM while traveling. It is not the QR, manual, or carrier-link steps. | iPhone User Guide, cellular service |
| Wakamo help says to choose Fetch my eSIM, then use the install button where available, the manual details, or scan the QR from another screen. Help does not describe a Carrier Cellular Plan Ready to Be Installed notification, and it does not name an app. | Wakamo help |
| The Japan eSIM guide is the write-up for Fetch my eSIM and for where the QR code and manual details appear. This page does not repeat those steps. | Wakamo Japan eSIM guide |
FAQ
How do I install the Japan eSIM with a QR code?
After the iPhone is set up, Apple says to open the Camera app and scan the QR code, then tap the Cellular Plan Detected notification. If you are using iOS 17.4 or later and the QR code arrives in the default email app or a browser, Apple says to tap and hold the QR code, then tap Add eSIM. Apple then says to tap Continue, then Add Cellular Plan. During iPhone setup, Apple says that when the Set Up Cellular screen appears, you tap Use QR code and follow the onscreen instructions. The iPhone User Guide's QR path is Settings, Cellular, Set Up Cellular or Add eSIM, then Use QR Code, and you may need to tap Other Options first. The Japan eSIM guide is the write-up for where the QR code appears. This page does not repeat those steps.
How do I enter the Japan eSIM manually?
Apple says manual entry is Settings, then Cellular or Mobile Data, then Add Cellular Plan, then Enter Details Manually at the bottom of the screen. The iPhone User Guide also says you can enter the details manually from its QR screen. The Japan eSIM guide is the write-up for where the manual details appear. This page does not repeat those steps.
What is direct install on iPhone?
Apple says a carrier might send a link instead of a QR code. On an iPhone with iOS 17.4 or later, you tap that link. When the Activate New eSIM notification appears, Apple says to tap Allow, then Continue. Apple's name for this method is a carrier link. Wakamo help says to use the install button where available. This page does not repeat those steps.
What if the install button is not there?
Wakamo help says to use the install button where available, the manual details, or scan the QR from another screen. Apple's carrier link is for an iPhone with iOS 17.4 or later. This page does not repeat those steps.
The iPhone asks for a confirmation code. Where is it?
If the iPhone asks for a confirmation code, Apple says to enter the number your carrier provided. The iPhone User Guide says you may be asked for a confirmation code provided by your carrier. This page does not state a confirmation code of its own.
Should I tap View Travel Options, or wait for a carrier notification?
No. The iPhone User Guide lists View Travel Options on a Travel eSIM row that is separate from the QR path. Apple lists the notification Carrier Cellular Plan Ready to Be Installed under eSIM Carrier Activation, which is separate from the QR code, the manual entry, and the carrier link. Wakamo help does not describe that notification, and it does not name an app. After Fetch my eSIM, help says to use the install button where available, the manual details, or scan the QR from another screen.
When should I install the Japan eSIM?
The Japan eSIM guide is the write-up for Fetch my eSIM and for where the QR code and manual details appear. This page does not repeat those steps, and it does not set another time.
Sources
Apple Support, set up eSIMsupport.apple.com
After the iPhone is set up, open the Camera app and scan the QR code, then tap Cellular Plan Detected. On iOS 17.4 or later, a QR code received in the default email app or a browser can be tapped and held, then Add eSIM. Then tap Continue, then Add Cellular Plan. If a confirmation code is requested, enter the number the carrier provided. During setup, when Set Up Cellular appears, tap Use QR code. Manual entry is Settings, Cellular or Mobile Data, Add Cellular Plan, Enter Details Manually. A carrier might send a link instead of a QR code: on iOS 17.4 or later, tap the link, tap Allow on Activate New eSIM, then Continue. eSIM Carrier Activation is a separate notification, Carrier Cellular Plan Ready to Be Installed. A carrier app is only when that carrier supports one. The page's own published date is September 17, 2026.
Accessed 2026-10-21.
iPhone User Guide, cellular servicesupport.apple.com
After setup, the QR path is Settings, Cellular, Set Up Cellular or Add eSIM, then Use QR Code. You may need to tap Other Options first. Position the iPhone so the QR code appears in the frame, or enter the details manually. A confirmation code from the carrier may be requested. Travel eSIM is a separate row: Settings, Cellular, Add eSIM, View Travel Options, and that row points to Apple's article on using eSIM while traveling.
Accessed 2026-10-21.
Wakamo helpwakamo.io
Wakamo product information. Choose Fetch my eSIM, then use the install button where available, the manual details, or scan the QR from another screen. Help does not describe a Carrier Cellular Plan Ready to Be Installed notification, and it does not name an app. This page does not repeat the screen.
Accessed 2026-10-21.
Wakamo Japan eSIM guidewakamo.io
Wakamo product information. The Japan eSIM guide is the write-up for Fetch my eSIM and for where the QR code and manual details appear. This page links that guide and does not repeat those steps.
Accessed 2026-10-21.