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How to Delete Wallpaper on iPhone

Are you looking to refresh your iPhone’s appearance by changing or deleting wallpaper? Whether you’re tired of your current background image or want to restore your iPhone to its default wallpaper, this guide will walk you through all the steps needed to delete wallpaper on your iPhone.

Understanding How to Delete Wallpaper on iPhone

Your iPhone wallpaper sets the visual tone for your device experience. There are two separate wallpapers on your iPhone – one for your Lock Screen and one for your Home Screen. You can use the same image for both or choose different wallpapers to customize each screen. Apple provides a collection of default wallpapers, but many users prefer to personalize their devices with custom images. Over time, you might want to delete wallpaper that no longer appeals to you or switch to something new.

 

Customizing the look and feel of your iPhone is one of the most fun things about using it. With just a few taps, you can change your lock screen, update your home screen, and even personalize widgets and wallpapers to reflect your style. But what happens when your iPhone is cluttered with too many wallpapers?

Maybe you experimented with multiple wallpapers. Maybe you no longer want that moody photo or that bold graphic staring back at you every time you unlock your phone. Or maybe you just want to declutter your settings and keep things minimal. Whatever your reason, deleting a wallpaper on an iPhone is a straightforward process—once you know where to look.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about how to delete wallpaper on an iPhone—including step-by-step instructions, visual cues, troubleshooting tips, and answers to the most frequently asked questions. Whether you’re using iOS 16, iOS 17, or the latest iOS 18, we’ve got you covered.

📱 What Are iPhone Wallpapers and Where Are They Stored?

Before diving into the “how,” let’s talk a little about where wallpapers live on your iPhone.

When you customize your iPhone’s appearance, you’re generally changing two main things:

  • Lock Screen Wallpaper

  • Home Screen Wallpaper

Starting with iOS 16, Apple introduced the custom Lock Screen experience, allowing users to create multiple wallpaper setups with widgets, font styles, and images. These are saved as a collection of lock screens, which you can switch between—much like watch faces on an Apple Watch.

That means every wallpaper you’ve created—either through the Settings app or by long-pressing your lock screen—is saved as a separate “lock screen layout.” If you don’t delete unused ones, they keep piling up.

✅ How to Delete a Wallpaper on iPhone (Lock Screen Layout)

Step-by-Step (iOS 16, iOS 17, iOS 18 and later):

  1. Go to your Lock Screen
    Wake your phone and stay on the lock screen (don’t unlock it yet).

  2. Long-press on the Lock Screen
    Tap and hold on the lock screen wallpaper. This will open the lock screen gallery.

  3. Swipe through your wallpaper setups
    You’ll see all the lock screen wallpapers you’ve previously created.

  4. Select the one you want to delete
    Swipe to the wallpaper you no longer want.

  5. Delete the wallpaper

    • Tap the Delete icon (a small trash can at the bottom of the screen).

    • Confirm the deletion by tapping Delete This Wallpaper.

🧼 Pro Tip: This method only deletes custom lock screen setups, not your camera roll photos.

You can repeat this process to clean out unused lock screen wallpapers and keep your iPhone experience fresh and organized.

🏠 What About the Home Screen Wallpaper?

Your home screen wallpaper is usually paired with your lock screen setup, especially with newer iOS versions. When you change or delete a lock screen layout, the corresponding home screen background goes with it.

However, if you manually set your home screen background using the Photos app or Settings, it doesn’t show up in the lock screen gallery. In that case, you can’t “delete” the wallpaper like an image—you can only replace it with a new one.

To replace your home screen wallpaper:

  1. Go to Settings > Wallpaper

  2. Tap Customize under the “Home Screen” preview

  3. Choose a new color, gradient, photo, or blur option

  4. Tap Done

There’s no “Delete” option here—but choosing a solid color or blur can effectively “remove” the previous photo.

🧹 How to Remove Wallpapers Saved from Photos

If you set a photo as your wallpaper and want to get rid of that image entirely from your iPhone:

  1. Open the Photos app

  2. Find the image you used as wallpaper

  3. Tap the Trash icon

  4. Confirm by tapping Delete Photo

This removes the photo from your device, but it doesn’t affect wallpapers already set using that photo. If that image was part of a lock screen layout, you’ll still need to delete that layout separately (using the method above).

🧰 Can I Delete the Default Apple Wallpapers?

Unfortunately, no. The default wallpapers provided by Apple (like abstract gradients, Earth and moon visuals, or iOS-themed designs) are built into iOS and cannot be deleted.

However, you can:

  • Choose not to use them

  • Replace them with your own photo or a solid color

  • Download third-party wallpapers from apps or websites

🤔 Why Delete a Wallpaper on iPhone?

Here are a few reasons users delete iPhone wallpapers:

  • Decluttering: You’ve accumulated too many lock screen setups.

  • Redundancy: You’ve created similar designs you don’t need anymore.

  • Style Change: Your aesthetic preferences have changed.

  • Battery Drain: Live wallpapers or overly bright ones can drain battery.

  • Better Focus: Some users prefer minimal wallpapers for better concentration.

No matter your reason, it’s your iPhone—customize it the way you want!

🧩 Can You Restore a Deleted Wallpaper?

Not exactly. Once you delete a lock screen wallpaper, there’s no built-in “undo” or restore button. However:

  • If the wallpaper used a photo from your Photos app, and you haven’t deleted it, you can simply recreate the wallpaper layout.

  • If it was a Live Photo, Depth Effect, or emoji pattern, you can manually create a similar one again.

If you accidentally deleted an image from your Photos, go to:

  1. Open Photos > Albums

  2. Scroll down to Recently Deleted

  3. Select the image

  4. Tap Recover

Photos are kept in Recently Deleted for 30 days.

📸 Tips for Managing Wallpapers Like a Pro

Here are some extra tips to keep your iPhone looking clean, stylish, and organized:

🧹 1. Periodically Clean Up

Check your lock screen gallery every few weeks. If you’re not using a setup, delete it.

🧰 2. Use Focus Modes

Tie specific wallpapers to different Focus Modes (e.g., a calm photo for “Sleep,” a dark background for “Work”)—but don’t overload.

🎨 3. Blur or Simplify Home Screens

Avoid visual clutter by using blur, solid colors, or gradients on your home screen. It helps you focus on the app icons.

📂 4. Use a Wallpaper Folder

In your Photos app, create an album called Wallpapers to store your favorites. This makes them easy to find and manage.

💬 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

❓ Can I delete wallpaper from the Settings app?

You can’t delete wallpapers directly from Settings > Wallpaper. You can only customize or change wallpapers there. To delete, you must long-press the lock screen.

❓ Why don’t I see a delete option?

You might be trying to delete a default wallpaper or haven’t long-pressed the lock screen properly. Only custom setups can be deleted.

❓ Will deleting a lock screen wallpaper delete the photo?

No. The photo used stays in your Photos library unless you delete it manually.

❓ Can I delete Live Wallpapers or Depth Effect wallpapers?

Yes. These are just types of wallpapers. You can delete them from the lock screen gallery like any other.

❓ How many wallpapers can I save?

There’s no hard limit, but having too many can clutter your device. It’s best to keep it organized with only the ones you actually use.

 

Why You Might Want to Delete Wallpaper on iPhone

There are several reasons you might want to delete wallpaper from your iPhone:

  • Your current wallpaper feels outdated or boring
  • You want to minimize distractions with a simpler background
  • You’re trying to free up storage space (though wallpapers use minimal storage)
  • You prefer the default Apple wallpapers
  • You’re experiencing visual issues with your current wallpaper
  • You want a fresh look for your device

How to Delete Wallpaper on iPhone

Method 1: Change to Another Wallpaper

The simplest way to effectively “delete” your current wallpaper is to replace it with another one:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone
  2. Scroll down and tap on Wallpaper
  3. Tap Add New Wallpaper or select your current wallpaper
  4. Choose a new wallpaper from Apple’s collection or your photos
  5. Tap Set and choose either “Set as Lock Screen,” “Set as Home Screen,” or “Set Both”.

This method doesn’t technically delete wallpaper from your iPhone, but it replaces your current one with something new.

Method 2: Reset to Default Wallpaper

If you want to return to the original Apple wallpapers:

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone
  2. Tap Wallpaper
  3. Select Add New Wallpaper
  4. Scroll through the “Collections” category to find Apple’s default wallpapers
  5. Select one and tap Set to apply it

Method 3: Using iOS 16+ Lock Screen Gallery

If you’re using iOS 16 or later (including iOS 18 in 2025):

  1. Long-press on your Lock Screen until it zooms out
  2. Swipe to the wallpaper you want to delete
  3. Swipe up on the wallpaper or tap the trash icon
  4. Confirm that you want to delete the wallpaper

This method works specifically for removing custom Lock Screen wallpapers you’ve created.

How to Delete Wallpaper Photos from Your iPhone

If you want to delete the actual image files you’ve used as wallpapers:

  1. Open the Photos app
  2. Find the image you used as wallpaper
  3. Tap the image to open it
  4. Tap the share icon (square with an arrow pointing up)
  5. Scroll down and tap Delete
  6. Confirm deletion by tapping Delete Photo

Remember that deleting a photo will remove it completely from your device, so make sure you no longer need it before proceeding.

Special Considerations When Deleting Wallpaper on iPhone

Dynamic and Live Wallpapers

Dynamic and Live wallpapers add motion to your iPhone’s background. To delete these:

  1. Go to Settings > Wallpaper
  2. Select Add New Wallpaper
  3. Choose a still image to replace your dynamic wallpaper

How to Delete Wallpaper on iPhone

Dark Mode Wallpapers

If you’ve set up separate wallpapers for Light and Dark modes:

  1. Go to Settings > Wallpaper
  2. Tap on your current wallpaper
  3. Toggle off “Dark Appearance Dims Wallpaper.”
  4. Choose a new wallpaper that works well in both modes

Customized Lock Screen Wallpapers (iOS 16+)

For customized Lock Screens with widgets:

  1. Long-press on your Lock Screen
  2. Swipe to the customized Lock Screen
  3. Swipe up on it or tap the trash icon
  4. Confirm deletion

Tips for Managing Wallpaper on iPhone

  • Create a dedicated album for potential wallpaper images to keep them organized
  • Use the “Favorites” feature to mark images you might want to use as wallpaper
  • Customize wallpaper dimming in Dark Mode through Settings
  • Consider using Focus modes to automatically change wallpaper based on your activity
  • Try the “Photo Shuffle” feature to automatically rotate through wallpapers

Troubleshooting Wallpaper Issues on iPhone

Wallpaper Won’t Delete

If you’re having trouble deleting wallpaper:

  1. Restart your iPhone (press and hold the side button and volume up, then slide to power off)
  2. Check for iOS updates that might fix bugs
  3. As a last resort, try resetting your Home Screen layout through Settings > General > Reset > Reset Home Screen Layout

Wallpaper Appears Distorted

If your wallpaper looks stretched or cropped oddly:

  1. Try setting it again using the “Still” option instead of “Perspective.ve”
  2. Reposition and resize the image during the wallpaper setting process
  3. Use an image with dimensions that match your iPhone’s screen resolution

How Different iPhone Models Handle Wallpaper

The process to delete wallpaper on iPhone remains largely consistent across models, but there are some differences:

  • Newer models (iPhone 14/15/16) offer more Lock Screen customization options
  • Models with Face ID have different screen dimensions from those with Home buttons
  • Pro models may have additional wallpaper features like Always-On display options

Recent Changes to Wallpaper Management in iOS 18

With the release of iOS 18 in 2025, Apple has introduced several enhancements to wallpaper management:

  • More intelligent suggestions based on your preferences
  • Enhanced customization options for the Lock Screen
  • Better integration with Focus modes
  • Improved wallpaper collections with regular updates

These new features make managing and deleting wallpaper on iPhone even more intuitive.

FAQs About Deleting Wallpaper on iPhone

How do I delete multiple wallpapers at once on my iPhone?

Unfortunately, there’s no batch delete option for wallpapers on iPhone. You’ll need to delete each custom Lock Screen wallpaper individually by long-pressing the Lock Screen, swiping to the one you want to remove, and swiping up or tapping the trash icon.

Will deleting wallpaper free up storage space on my iPhone?

Deleting wallpaper images will free up a minimal amount of storage space. Wallpaper files are relatively small compared to apps, videos, or music. If you’re looking to free up significant storage, focus on larger files and unused apps instead.

Can I recover a deleted wallpaper on my iPhone?

If you deleted the actual photo used as wallpaper from your Photos app, you can recover it from the “Recently Deleted” album within 30 days of deletion. If you simply changed your wallpaper, you can set it back by finding the original image in your Photos app.

How do I delete the blur effect from my iPhone wallpaper?

To remove the blur effect:

  1. Go to Settings > Wallpaper
  2. Tap on your current wallpaper
  3. Toggle off “Depth Effect” or “Perspective Zoom.”
  4. Apply the changes

Can I delete pre-installed Apple wallpapers from my iPhone?

No, you cannot delete the pre-installed Apple wallpapers. They are part of the iOS system. You can only choose not to use them by selecting different wallpapers.

How do I delete a shared wallpaper from my iPhone?

If someone shared a wallpaper with you through Messages or AirDrop:

  1. Save it to your Photos first (if you haven’t already)
  2. Delete it from your Photos app like any other image
  3. If you’ve set it as your wallpaper, change to a different wallpaper

How to Delete Wallpaper on iPhone

Conclusion

Deleting wallpaper on iPhone is a simple process that can give your device a fresh look and feel. Whether you want to switch to a new image, return to default settings, or simply remove a custom Lock Screen setup, the methods outlined in this guide make it easy to manage your iPhone’s wallpaper. Remember that while the term “delete wallpaper” is commonly used, in most cases, you’re replacing one wallpaper with another rather than deleting it entirely. The exception is with custom Lock Screens in iOS 16+, which can be truly deleted.

By following the steps and tips in this guide, you’ll be able to easily manage, change, and delete wallpaper on your iPhone to keep your device looking fresh and personalized to your taste. Take some time to explore the various wallpaper options available to you, including Apple’s collections, your photos, and even dynamic or Live wallpapers. Your iPhone’s screen is something you look at dozens (if not hundreds) of times each day, so finding the perfect wallpaper is well worth the effort.   

 

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