Keep enough evidence to prove that the new photo organizer contains the right originals, dates, descriptions, album relationships, and sharing decisions before the old system is removed. An export finishing successfully is only the start; inventory and restore checks provide the evidence that matters.
Preserve a pre-change inventory
Record each source location: phone, computer, memory card, external drive, cloud account, shared album, and old organizer library. For every source, note the approximate item count, date range, major albums, storage used, export method, and whether originals are local or cloud-only. Capture screenshots of album names and settings that may not transfer, but do not treat screenshots as substitutes for the photo files.
The Library of Congress recommends identifying where digital photos exist, selecting important images, organizing them, and making copies in different places. Its personal digital preservation guidance also recommends descriptive file names, subject tags, a documented folder structure, at least two copies, and periodic readability checks. Use those elements as the baseline record for the migration.
Keep originals and descriptive context
Preserve the highest-quality original available before editing, deduplicating, or converting. Keep file name, file size, format, capture date, pixel dimensions, and embedded metadata where present. Export captions, descriptions, favorites, ratings, album memberships, and face labels when the old tool supports them. Record which fields the new tool cannot import. A sidecar JSON or CSV may look inconvenient, but it can be the only evidence of an album or description after the file moves.
Google's data export guide allows users to create an archive and warns that changes made between the request and archive creation may not be included. It also explains that large exports can be split into multiple archives. Save the export confirmation, requested scope, completion time, part count, and checks that every part downloaded.
Record decisions instead of silently deleting duplicates
Create a duplicate log with the compared paths, reason for choosing one copy, and the retained file's identifier. Prefer the highest-quality original when versions represent the same image, but keep edited derivatives when they carry intentional work or context. The Library of Congress guidance distinguishes selecting important photos from merely collecting every copy and recommends preserving the highest-quality version when multiple versions exist.
Verify the destination with samples and totals
Compare counts by year or album rather than relying only on one grand total. Open samples that cover old and new dates, common and unusual formats, videos, edited images, and items with captions or location data. Check that orientation, capture time, color, and descriptions survived. Search for several known people, events, or file names. If the new organizer changes file timestamps, compare embedded metadata and the pre-change inventory rather than assuming the file-system date is the capture date.
Keep the old copy until a restore test passes
Store at least two verified copies in separate locations, then restore a sample into a clean folder or secondary library. Record the date, copy location, test files, and result. Do not delete the old library, close the account, or revoke access until the new organizer and the independent backup both pass.
The final evidence packet should contain the source inventory, export receipts, item and album counts, metadata limitations, duplicate log, sample-check results, backup locations, and deletion approval. That packet turns a visual impression that the photos seem present into a recoverable, reviewable migration record.
Sources
- Preserving Your Digital Memories — National Archives and Records Administration and Library of Congress
- Reformatting, Digitizing, and Digital Preservation FAQ — Library of Congress
- How to Download Your Google Data — Google
- Download Photos or Videos to Your Device — Google