Understanding Your iPhone's Settings

Navigating the iPhone Settings Menu

Before you can effectively delete a wallpaper on your iPhone, it is integral that you understand how to navigate the device's settings menu. This is where many of your phone's customisable features are located, including those related to wallpaper. It's typically represented by a gear icon on your iPhone's home screen. Clicking on this icon will lead you to a scrollable list of option groups, each containing related setting options. It's in this setting menu that you'll be able to proceed to delete wallpapers.

Location of iPhone Wallpaper Settings

Within the iPhone's settings menu, you'll specifically need to navigate to the wallpaper settings. This is where you can see your current wallpapers and replace them as desired. The Wallpaper settings are found by scrolling down through the primary setting menu until you see the option labelled 'Wallpaper.' You'll then select this option to be directed to the area associated with managing your iPhone's wallpapers.

Manipulating Wallpaper Settings

The iPhone's wallpaper settings allow you to see your current wallpaper and select new wallpapers. You'll be given the options 'choose a new wallpaper' and 'set home and lock screen.' These options are self-explanatory, with the former allowing you to select a new wallpaper and the latter enabling you to specify if your current wallpaper should appear on your home screen, lock screen, or both. By understanding these settings, you'll be better equipped to manage and eventually delete wallpapers.

Steps to Deleting Wallpaper on Your iPhone

Selecting the New Wallpaper

To delete your current wallpaper on your iPhone, you'll actually need to replace it with a different image. This is done by first navigating to the 'choose a new wallpaper' setting as previously mentioned. Here, you'll be able to scroll through a variety of wallpaper options. Apple supplies a number of still and dynamic images that you may choose from. Alternatively, you can select an image from your device's photo gallery. The option that you select will replace the wallpaper that you're looking to delete.

Applying the New Wallpaper

After making your wallpaper selection, you'll be able to set it to your home screen, lock screen, or both. This is accomplished by tapping on the option that matches your preference. Once you've made this selection, your previous wallpaper will be replaced with your newly chosen image. At this point, you've effectively deleted your old wallpaper.

Confirming the Wallpaper Change

Lastly, you'll want to confirm that your wallpaper has been changed as expected. This can be done by pressing your device's home button or swiping up from the bottom of the screen if your device lacks a physical button. This will take you to your home screen where you should now see your new wallpaper. Depending on your setting choice, the new wallpaper could also be viewable when your device is locked.

Alternative Strategies for Deleting iPhone Wallpaper

Setting a Plain Wallpaper

If you're looking to completely avoid using a photo as your iPhone's wallpaper, you have the option to set a plain colour instead. This can be done within the same settings menu where you'd typically select a new wallpaper. Instead, you'll scroll through the given options until you locate 'Stills.' Here, you'll be able to choose among a selection of plain colours that can act as your device's wallpaper. Upon selection, your previous wallpaper will be deleted and replaced with your chosen colour.

Using a Custom Image

Another strategy for deleting wallpapers involves creating a custom image to use as your new wallpaper. This approach allows for greater creative freedom by enabling you to create an image that suits your personal style. The image could be a piece of digital art, a set of words, or anything else that can be saved as a digital file. You'll then need to save this digital file to your iPhone's photo gallery, from which you can set it as your new wallpaper via the usual method. This would delete your previous wallpaper.

Understanding your iPhone's Storage

Lastly, you may be wondering how to completely remove a wallpaper file from your device for storage reasons. The truth is, once a wallpaper is no longer set on your device, it doesn't take up any extra storage. iPhone backups and updates do not store every available wallpaper, only those currently set on your device. Therefore, once a wallpaper is replaced, it's essentially "deleted" from your iPhone's storage. It's important to note that this does not apply to photos taken by the user and set as wallpapers, these would need to be deleted from the photos app to save storage.