This was the post Apple decided to remove because it would contain ‘some questionable advice’? But the only thing it contains, is a solution that Apple does not provide for a huge problem for many of their customers buying a very expensive new product (the Xs Max) that can’t be used without loss of very valuable personal data from their previous iPhone!! This is really unbelievable but also really true!!
——————————————————-
What you need to do, is make a backup from your iPhone 8 plus on iTunes, so not the probably most used way in iCloud. Just to be sure make another backup also in iTunes say 5 minutes after the first one and work with the last one. The first backup may then be used in case something goes totally wrong which I don't expect, but you never know of course.
Now use the File Explorer and go to:
C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\<60ea0d293332c1db596d8955c9d6a262954ea86e>
At least at my computer the last folder name was <60ea0d293332c1db596d8955c9d6a262954ea86e>, but it may or probably is a different folder name with you.
(Please note that I have a Windows PC, it may be in a different location on e.g. an Apple computer? I don't know, because I don't have one, so can't check. On an Apple you then need to find the location on your own I guess?)
In that folder look for a file named Info.plist.
Open that file with the Notepad app, which is a file editor that will not change the format of the file.
Look into the file and then search for Product Version (Tip: use Ctrl F), and you'll find a section that looks like this:
Product Type
iPhoner10,5
Product Version
12.3.2
Serial Number
XXX
Then change 12.3.2 to 12.3.1 (make sure that you only change the 2 in a 1) and then save the file.
Now you can set up your new iPhone Xs Max the usual way without losing any data that was on your old iPhone 8 plus by setting it up not as a new phone but at a certain point in the process restoring it from a backup in iTunes. This done by selecting Restore from iTunes, then connecting the new iPhone Xs to your computer and let it connect to iTunes, next select the most recent (just slightly modified) backup files and then it will work. Your Xs will start restoring from the iPhone 8 plus backup!!!
The only thing I still had to do was to login again in various e-mail accounts and Whatsapp with my respective passwords to make contact again and have e-mails, Whatsapp messages etcetera copied to or make accesible again at the new Iphone Xs.
For me it did work perfectly. I hope other people may benefit from it too.
