A hot potato: Marques Brownlee's controversial wallpaper app, Panels, is being shuttered at the end of the month, just over a year after it launched. The YouTube tech star admitted that "we made mistakes" with his first app, which launched with a streaming service-like $12 per month/$50 per year premium subscription option.
Brownlee, aka MKBHD, was pretty much universally loved when he released Panels in September 2024. But the app cost him a lot of fans.
Beyond the hilariously expensive premium subscription option that unlocked the high-res wallpapers, there were complaints about the length of the app's ads – which non-subscribers had to watch to unlock the low-res images – the fact that many of the wallpapers aren't that impressive, and the concerning number of permissions the app requested.
Wow I can really feel the human touch that went into this masterpiece https://t.co/tOvvowXPKJ pic.twitter.com/oaZyLYAgsP
– Ƙret (@Acephalosses) September 24, 2024
However, in an illustration of how having a big name attached can bring success to pretty much anything, the app still managed to top the Photos category of both app stores at launch, and more than 2 million wallpapers have been downloaded during its run, according to the app's website.
In a new video, Brownlee says that he has decided to sunset the Panels app. The YouTuber admits that "We made mistakes making our first app, and ultimately, we weren't able to turn it into the vision I had."
MKBHD added that the code from the app would be made open-source under the Apache 2.0 license and available on GitHub for anyone who wants to try making their own wallpaper app. Brownlee also said that those who paid for an annual pass for the app will be receiving a pro-rated refund.
The Panels website goes into more detail about the decision to sunset the app. "Earlier this year, the makeup of the development team changed, and despite our best efforts to bring in collaborators who shared our passion and vision, we weren't able to find the right fit," it reads. "Rather than keeping the app running without being able to grow it in the way we originally envisioned, we felt it was best to make a clean break."
Panels will shut down on December 31. Any wallpapers downloaded or purchased by users are theirs to keep, as you'd expect.
The Panels code will be released once all user data has been securely deleted, which should be sometime around January 4, 2026. All active refunds will be proactively refunded after the shutdown.
Brownlee went the way of fellow tech YouTuber Linus Sebastian last year, losing a lot of followers following the Panels controversy. His image took another hit a month later when he posted a video fully sponsored by DJI in which he drove a sports car at 95 mph in a 35 mph zone, speeding past a sign warning drivers to slow down for children.
MKBHD admits mistakes as his controversial Panels wallpaper app closes barely a year after launch
