How to Verify Photos Moved to a New iPhone

Use these steps to confirm your photo library successfully transferred to your new iPhone using iCloud Photos or Finder backups.

1. Check iCloud Photos synchronization status. Open the Photos app and tap the Library tab at the bottom. Scroll to the very bottom of the All Photos view. Look for a status bar indicating either 'Syncing with iCloud' or 'Synced with iCloud'.
2. Validate total photo and video counts. Navigate to the Library tab and tap 'All Photos'. Scroll to the bottom to view the total count of items. Compare this number against the count visible on your previous device to ensure a complete match.
3. Review Hidden and Recently Deleted albums. Tap the Albums tab and scroll down to the Utilities section. Select 'Hidden' and 'Recently Deleted' to verify that sensitive or recently removed media migrated correctly. These folders remain locked behind Face ID or your passcode.
4. Confirm Shared Albums availability. In the Albums tab, scroll to the Shared Albums section. Verify that your active shared feeds are populated with images. If they appear empty, ensure you are signed into the same Apple ID used for iCloud sharing.
5. Compare local storage usage. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Wait for the usage breakdown to load and locate the Photos app in the list. Confirm that the data size corresponds to the expected size of your media library from your previous device.