MKBHD Shutting Down Controversial 'Panels' Wallpaper App

[MacRumors]

Panels, a wallpaper app launched by well-known YouTuber Marques Brownlee (MKBHD), is shutting down at the end of 2025.

According to a notice on the Panels website, the "makeup of the development team" changed earlier this year, and MKBHD wasn't able to find other collaborators who were the "right fit" to continue work on the app. Brownlee said in an accompanying video that he wasn't able to turn Panels into the vision that he had.

The Panels app is being shut down on December 31, 2025. The Panels app code will be open-sourced under the Apache 2.0 license in January 2026 for anyone who wants to create new projects based on the code.

Panels users who have downloaded or purchased wallpapers can continue to use them, and wallpapers can be downloaded until the end of December. When the app is removed from the App Store, active subscriptions will be automatically canceled, and annual subscriptions will be proactively refunded. Purchases in the app have been discontinued as of today.

Panels was heavily criticized when it launched in September 2024 due to pricing and aggressive data collection. The app cost $11.99 per month or $49.99 per year to download full resolution wallpapers. There was an option to watch two ads to download a wallpaper, but only at a limited 1080p resolution. It also asked to track activity across websites and apps, requested location information, and displayed ads in the feed.

Brownlee updated the app to address user concerns and dropped the subscription price to $2 per month, but Panels failed to catch on after its initial problems.

Article Link: MKBHD Shutting Down Controversial 'Panels' Wallpaper App

 

[vngannxx]

That was fast

 

[kenta_]

I’m sure it’s 10 subscribers are very upset 🙄

 

[germanbeer007]

how's it feel, Mr BROWNLEE? to have your product reviewed badly?

" turn Panels into the vision that he had."

there's a vision?

 

[ProbablyDylan]

The Panels app code will be open-sourced under the Apache 2.0 license in January 2026 for anyone who wants to create new projects based on the code.

Good on Marques. Still don't like the guy, but this is a good choice to make that costs nothing.

 

[turbineseaplane]

This is a mistake to even try from the get-go.

A disappointing mistake honestly.

I assumed he had better judgment.

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

Comments turned off

 

[Taq'aix]

That was fast. Peace ✌️🖐️

 

[Happy_John]

Linus Sebastian can be a bit annoying, but he was smart - if you’re going to expand your YouTuber/influencer empire by selling stuff, sell stuff that’s actually worth paying for.

Branded snake oil is still just snake oil.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

I assumed he had better judgment.

You thought the guy that speeds in school zones for content had better judgement?

 

[turbineseaplane]

You thought the guy that speeds in school zones for content had better judgement?

I honestly never knew that

 

[germanbeer007]

I do feel bad for YouTubers in general. Everytime I see posts on X by a YouTuber like MKBHD saying "I have a lot of thoughts, video tomorrow", they're in the state of attempting to monetize everything that they can because that's the only thing they can monetize in their career. So now comes the wallpaper app after people kept asking him "hey where did you get that wallpaper?" and MKBHD couldn't resist monetizing that too.

Sad mindset.

 

[Happy_John]

Good on Marques. Still don't like the guy, but this is a good choice to make that costs nothing.

I imagine there’s was very little choice. He could have thrown all the resources into the bin, but that would look a bit petulant, and his whole income stream is based on his viewers not turning on him, or them not simply moving on.

 

[vngannxx]

I do feel bad for YouTubers in general. Everytime I see posts on X by a YouTuber like MKBHD saying "I have a lot of thoughts, video tomorrow", they're in the state of attempting to monetize everything that they can because that's the only thing they can monetize in their career. So now comes the wallpaper app after people kept asking him "hey where did you get that wallpaper?" and MKBHD couldn't resist monetizing that too.

Sad mindset.

Everyone starts out making videos for fun but then everything shifts.

 

[Happy_John]

I do feel bad for YouTubers in general. Everytime I see posts on X by a YouTuber like MKBHD saying "I have a lot of thoughts, video tomorrow", they're in the state of attempting to monetize everything that they can because that's the only thing they can monetize in their career. So now comes the wallpaper app after people kept asking him "hey where did you get that wallpaper?" and MKBHD couldn't resist monetizing that too.

Sad mindset.

I don’t feel bad. It’s a business model that is parasitic. YouTuber influencers are simply freelance infomercial makers. It’s why they end up being so whiney once they’re repeated their „winning formula” one too many times.

When you’ve nothing left to say, bitch and moan about the products that enthusing about made you income in the first place.

 

[Happy_John]

Everyone starts out making videos for fun but then everything shifts.

Everyone starts out making videos because they think it’s an easy way to make some money. It’s the new version of selling Tupperware or Avon products.

 

[grammatica]

While the launch strategy wasn't the best, I still praise Marques for trying something new. I’m curious to know the amount of the project that was developed in-house versus outsourced.

 

[JPack]

Paying for wallpapers? In the era of AI?

What year is this?

 

[hieranonymous]

It’s always interesting when someone who has a lot of opinions about apps releases an app and it’s god-awful.

Remember when John Gruber released a notepad app and it was objectively worse than every notepad app that had preceded it?

 

[ProbablyDylan]

I honestly never knew that

The best part is the one where he apologizes - but for incriminating himself, not for the act!

 

[jbc25]

I like Marques and think he's one of the best YouTubers currently, but he does come across as quite young and unwise at times. This app was one of those times.

 

[jbc25]

I do feel bad for YouTubers in general. Everytime I see posts on X by a YouTuber like MKBHD saying "I have a lot of thoughts, video tomorrow", they're in the state of attempting to monetize everything that they can because that's the only thing they can monetize in their career. So now comes the wallpaper app after people kept asking him "hey where did you get that wallpaper?" and MKBHD couldn't resist monetizing that too.

Sad mindset.

I guess they're sad all the way to bank, no? Lol. I wish I could monetize my opinions like that.

 

[goobot]

Why would an app like that need to harvest so much data

 

[dannyyankou]

It never made much sense to me when google images is a thing.

 

[GermanSuplex]

$12?

Jesus…