Tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee, also known as MKBHD, announced on Monday that his phone wallpaper app, Panels, is shutting down. Fans had high hopes for Brownlee’s foray into app development, given his reputation as a detailed tech reviewer with over 20 million followers on YouTube. His influence is so significant that some have even blamed his critical commentary for contributing to the struggles of companies like Humane AI and Fisker, though the real issues likely run deeper.
Despite the initial excitement, Panels struggled to find a sustained audience after its launch in September 2024. Brownlee acknowledged the challenges in an unlisted YouTube video, stating, “We knew it was niche, but we made mistakes in making our first app, and ultimately, we weren’t able to turn it into the vision I had.” In a separate blog post, he cited changes in the development team and an inability to find the right collaborators to grow the app as key factors.
The inspiration for Panels came from fans who consistently admired the wallpapers and lock screens featured in Brownlee’s video reviews of phones, tablets, and computers. He noted that a common Google search suggestion related to him is “where does mkbhd get his wallpapers.”
The app partnered with artists to offer distinct, high-resolution wallpapers through a subscription model of $50 per year or $12 per month, with artists receiving a portion of the payments. However, Brownlee faced the fundamental challenge of creating a paid market for something consumers are accustomed to getting for free, such as pulling an image from the internet or using a personal photo.
Thanks to Brownlee’s popularity, Panels initially ranked number one on the iOS and Google Play charts for photo apps during its launch month. That momentum did not last. According to app intelligence firm Appfigures, Panels reached about 900,000 lifetime downloads and $95,000 in consumer spending across both platforms. Last month, however, it only received 3,000 downloads and $500 in spending, falling too low to rank on U.S. app stores. According to Panels’ own disclosure, users downloaded more than 2 million wallpapers from the app.
Panels will officially shut down on December 31, 2025. The company will begin refunding users with active annual subscriptions at that time, though its blog post outlines ways for customers to get refunds sooner. After the shutdown, all user data will be deleted, and the app’s code will be open-sourced for other developers to build upon.