How do I get iOS, iPadOS 18 and macOS 15 to allow me to sync & browse my photo library?

The latest version of Photos was sold by Apple to be a big change. It is that, but not a change I care for at all.

My first issue is that most important feature in the old version was removed (or put out of sight). Specifically the ability to enable syncing when a device was for some reason not syncing new items added on a particular device. For example when I would photos on my iPhone and need them on another device I typically would need to scroll to the bottom of the library and find Apple had decided that there was a reason to wait to send the photo to my iCloud library. But they provided a link I could tap on to enable syncing immediately and then I could access the photo from another device. Now the library view is gone as is the ability to start the phone syncing. I have no idea if the logic Apple applies to decide when to sync has changed at all.

My second issue is the new UI in photos. I do not like the way the library can't be scrolled without some weird pushing and pulling on it. I do not like scrolling through the lists of collections even for the few I enable. I would prefer to have access to most of them using a tab bar at the bottom. For me Apple has added work for no reason and that doesn't work for me. Kind of like the new Camera button. Sure it is nice to bring up the camera when I am not accidentally pushing it. But all the menu control stuff is too fiddly and it takes more time than simply tapping the phone with my finger would.