Marques Brownlee to Shut Down Wallpaper App Panels
Marques Brownlee, the prominent tech creator known as MKBHD, confirmed on Monday that his venture into software development, the wallpaper app Panels, is officially closing down. The platform, which launched in September 2024, will cease operations at the end of next year.
The app was born out of recurring audience requests; for years, viewers of Brownlee’s channel frequently asked where he sourced the high-quality imagery used on his devices. Despite an initial surge in popularity that saw Panels reach the top of the iOS and Google Play charts for photo apps during its debut month, the momentum proved difficult to maintain.
Challenges of a Paid Subscription Model
Panels operated on a monetization strategy that charged users $12 per month or $50 per year for access to high-resolution art created by various artists. However, the project faced a fundamental market hurdle: consumers are generally accustomed to accessing wallpapers for free via web searches or personal photography.
According to data from the app intelligence firm Appfigures, the platform saw approximately 900,000 lifetime downloads and generated $95,000 in consumer spending across both mobile platforms. Growth slowed significantly in recent months, with the app recording only 3,000 downloads and $500 in spending, failing to maintain a presence on U.S. app store rankings.
Transition and Future Plans
In an unlisted YouTube video, Brownlee acknowledged the shortcomings of the project. He noted that while the team was aware of the niche nature of the product, they struggled to execute the original vision. A blog post further clarified that shifting team dynamics and the inability to secure the right collaborators contributed to the decision to sunset the service.
- Shutdown Date: December 31, 2025.
- User Data: All personal information will be purged following the closure.
- Refunds: Active annual subscribers will be eligible for refunds, with instructions provided for those seeking expedited reimbursement.
- Open Source: The app’s codebase will be made open source, allowing other developers to utilize the technology.
Despite the closure, the app leaves behind a measurable footprint, with users having downloaded over 2 million individual wallpapers during its existence.