Modern iPhones can store several Lock Screen wallpaper combinations. If you no longer want one, you can remove it directly from the Lock Screen wallpaper gallery instead of looking for a delete button in the main Wallpaper settings.
Delete an iPhone wallpaper
- Wake the iPhone and remain on the Lock Screen.
- Unlock the phone with Face ID or your passcode, but do not go to the Home Screen.
- Touch and hold an empty area of the Lock Screen to open the wallpaper gallery.
- Swipe left or right until you find the wallpaper you want to remove.
- Swipe upward on that wallpaper.
- Tap the Trash button, then confirm the deletion.
Deleting a wallpaper removes that Lock Screen/Home Screen configuration; it does not necessarily delete the original picture from your Photos library.
If you only want a different image, you can customize the existing wallpaper or create a new wallpaper pair instead. The gallery can contain multiple setups, so make sure you are deleting the correct one before confirming.