Tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee, better known as MKBHD, made a disappointing announcement on Monday regarding the closure of his phone wallpaper app, Panels. Fans were eagerly anticipating Brownlee’s venture into app development, considering his widespread influence in the tech community with over 20 million YouTube followers. Despite his track record as a discerning tech reviewer, Panels struggled to gain traction since its launch in September 2024.
In an unlisted YouTube video, Brownlee candidly admitted, “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.” He also mentioned in a blog post that changes within the development team hindered the app’s growth.
The inspiration behind Panels stemmed from fans consistently praising the stunning wallpapers and lock screens featured in Brownlee’s video reviews of gadgets. The app collaborated with artists to offer unique, high-resolution wallpapers for a subscription fee of $50 per year or $12 per month, with artists receiving a portion of the revenue. However, the challenge lay in convincing consumers to pay for wallpapers when they could easily find free alternatives online.
Despite an initial surge in popularity, Panels topped the charts for photo apps on both iOS and Google Play during its launch but couldn’t sustain its momentum. App intelligence firm Appfigures reported that Panels garnered around 900,000 lifetime downloads and $95,000 in consumer spending across iOS and Android. However, recent figures show a significant decline, with only 3,000 downloads and $500 in consumer spending last month.
Panels disclosed that users downloaded over 2 million wallpapers from the app. As the app prepares to shut down on December 31, 2025, active annual subscribers will receive refunds. Additionally, Panels will delete all user data post-shutdown and make the app code open source for other developers to utilize.
In conclusion, Panels’ closure serves as a cautionary tale about the challenges of monetizing niche products in a competitive market. Despite Brownlee’s influence, even a well-known figure in the tech industry faced difficulties in sustaining a successful app.
