LPA

The LPA (Local Profile Assistant) is the software in a consumer device that downloads eSIM profiles and lets the user manage them. Defined in GSMA SGP.22, it connects the eUICC to the operator’s SM-DP+ and to the person holding the device — it is what runs when you scan an eSIM QR code.

LPA functions

SGP.22 splits the LPA into three functions:

Function	Role
LPD — Local Profile Download	Connects to the SM-DP+ over ES9+, relays authentication and transfers the Bound Profile Package to the eUICC
LDS — Local Discovery Service	Queries an SM-DS over ES11 to find pending profile events
LUI — Local User Interface	Lets the user add, enable, disable, delete and nickname profiles, and approve downloads

The LPA also sends notifications, such as installation results, back to the SM-DP+. It enforces user consent: the user confirms each download, and may need to enter a confirmation code the operator supplied separately.

LPAd and LPAe

Most phones implement the LPA in the device operating system (LPAd). SGP.22 also allows an LPAe, with the LPA functions running inside the eUICC. The same split reappears in IoT as IPAd and IPAe.

LPA vs. IPA

The LPA assumes a person is present to start downloads and approve changes. IoT devices often have no screen and no user, so SGP.32 replaces the LPA with the IPA, which takes its instructions from a remote eIM instead.

Some cellular modules also expose an SGP.22-style LPA through AT commands, so a host can download a profile from an activation code without a user interface — a common bridge for IoT devices built before SGP.32.

Why it matters for testing

LPA behavior varies by device and software version: how activation codes are parsed, how errors are reported, whether a confirmation code is requested, and how notifications are retried. A profile that installs on one device can fail on another. SimCheck.ai can install profiles through an SGP.22-style LPA on real modems and then test registration, data, SMS and voice on the downloaded profile — see eSIM testing.