Tech content creator Marques Brownlee — widely known as MKBHD — has announced the impending shutdown of his smartphone wallpaper application, Panels. The app, launched in September 2024, will cease operations on December 31, 2025.

Brownlee, who commands over 20 million YouTube subscribers and is regarded as one of the industry’s most influential tech reviewers, initially ventured into app development to offer fans the high-quality wallpapers frequently admired in his device review videos. At the time of launch, interest was high, especially as search results often show users asking where Brownlee gets the wallpapers featured on his devices.

Despite the anticipation, Panels struggled to maintain user engagement beyond its launch period. In an unlisted video addressing the shutdown, Brownlee admitted that the team made “mistakes in making our first app,” adding that internal changes to the development team made it difficult to fully realize the original vision for the platform.

Panels operated on a subscription model, offering exclusive high-resolution wallpapers created in partnership with digital artists. Users paid $50 per year or $12 per month for access, with artists receiving a share of the revenue. However, the model faced a fundamental challenge: convincing consumers to pay for something widely available for free across the internet.

Although the app briefly topped the iOS and Google Play photo app charts during its launch month, momentum soon declined. Data from Appfigures shows that Panels recorded approximately 900,000 lifetime downloads and $95,000 in consumer spending across both major mobile platforms. In contrast, the app generated only about 3,000 downloads and $500 in revenue last month — too low to maintain visibility in U.S. app store rankings.

Panels reports that users collectively downloaded more than 2 million wallpapers during the app’s lifespan.

As part of the shutdown process, users with active annual subscriptions will receive refunds, with the company outlining steps for expedited repayment in a recent blog post. Following the closure, Panels says all user data will be deleted, and the app’s codebase will be open-sourced to allow developers to build upon the project if they choose.

Source: Techcrunch