If a damaged iPhone will not stay on, I would first separate two questions: which photos are already stored elsewhere, and which may still exist only on the phone? Checking an existing cloud copy from another device can answer part of that without repeatedly restarting the damaged phone.
Do not keep powering or charging a liquid-damaged, unusually hot or swollen phone to force a backup. Leave it off and ask for an evaluation. The checks below use another device you own and can access.
Check the particular photos you need
On another trusted device, open icloud.com/photos yourself and sign into your own Apple Account. Apple’s web guide explains how to view the Library and albums. Open several important photos and videos, including the newest ones you remember taking. If you use a Shared Library, check the relevant library view too.
Write down the latest date you can actually see and any specific items that are missing. Seeing an old album does not establish that yesterday’s pictures uploaded. If account verification blocks you, use Apple’s account-help process; do not send the shop your password, passcode or verification code.
A photo library is not the same as a device backup
Apple explains that iCloud Photos syncs separately from iCloud Backup. When iCloud Photos is used, those photos are not included in the daily device backup. If it was not enabled, a device backup may include photos instead.
An empty web photo library therefore does not prove that every photo is lost. A previously completed iCloud or computer backup is a separate possibility to investigate. Equally, paying for iCloud storage is not proof that the files you need were uploaded. Do not erase the damaged phone to test either assumption.
Save copies of what is present
Apple provides instructions for downloading copies from iCloud. On a Mac, open iCloud.com Photos, select the items and use Download. Follow the linked instructions for your device if its controls differ. Keep downloaded copies in a location you control.
Open a few saved files and play an important video to check that the copies are usable. Record where you saved them. Do not delete cloud items as part of this check, and do not treat a thumbnail or an unfinished download as a verified independent copy.
Missing items need a separate check
Apple’s missing-photo guidance includes Recently Deleted, Hidden and Shared Library checks. Recently deleted photos may be recoverable for up to 30 days; that is not a promise that every missing item is there. Check on a safe, accessible device, without changing settings on the damaged phone just to experiment.
If only some items are present, describe that clearly. For example, say that older albums are visible but the last week is missing. You do not need to send private images to explain the gap.
Tell us whether the goal is the phone or the files
For a repair request, give the exact model, what happened, whether it stays on and which copies you have actually checked. Tell us if the missing photos matter more than returning the phone to daily use. Ask how any proposed work could affect the data before approving it.
We can evaluate supported devices at Davie, Tamarac and Fort Lauderdale / Swap Shop. Opening a phone, replacing a part or performing board work is not a guarantee of file access. Keep the original device and existing backups while options are evaluated. Our liquid-damage guide covers the damaged-phone precautions; this guide focuses on checking copies that already exist elsewhere.
Sources and further reading
Common questions
Can checking iCloud create a new backup of my dead iPhone?
No. It checks information already stored there. It does not upload files that remain only on an offline phone.
If iCloud Photos is empty, are my photos definitely gone?
No. You may be checking a different account or library, or the photos may be in a separate completed backup or only on the phone. The absence of web photos does not establish recoverability either.
Related repair help
Get a clear next step.
Call your nearest Phone Repair Guy store or send the device and symptoms for a repair evaluation.