RIP to MKBHD's Controversial Digital Wallpaper App

MKBHD's Panel App Closes After Failing to Gain Traction

Marques Brownlee, the popular YouTube personality known for MKBHD, has announced that his digital wallpaper app, Panels, will be shutting down on December 31. The app, which launched in September 2024, was meant to provide users with exclusive high-resolution wallpapers, but ultimately failed to carve out a loyal customer base willing to pay for them.

Despite its initial success, reaching the top spot in the iOS App Store's Photos category, Panels struggled to turn a profit. Brownlee acknowledged that changing the composition of his development team made it difficult to find collaborators who shared his vision and passion. Rather than trying to keep the app running without growth, he opted for a clean break.

The business model of Panels was inherently flawed, charging users $50 per year or $12 per month for access to premium wallpapers – an option that could be easily replicated by downloading and using personal photos from their own library. The free version required users to watch ads before downloading images, further diminishing the appeal.

The app also faced criticism for its data collection practices at launch, prompting Brownlee to make changes as the project progressed. However, the initial perception of Panels as a cash and data grab proved difficult to shake off, especially in an industry where there is often a lack of clarity around market demand.

According to Appfigures data, Panels had around 900,000 total downloads since its launch and generated approximately $95,000 in purchases across iOS and Android. While this may not be a bad start for a side project, it's clear that the conversion rate was too low given Brownlee's massive audience on YouTube and X.

As the app's shutdown approaches, Brownlee has announced that Panels will be open-sourced, making its code available for anyone to try and revive it. However, it remains unclear why someone would attempt to do so, as the market conditions have likely changed since Panels' launch in 2024. Perhaps a rebranding of Panels as a generative AI tool for creating wallpapers could attract investors and interest from tech enthusiasts.

man i feel bad for marques brownlee he invested so much time and effort into panels and it just didn't work out the thing that really gets me is how he had such a massive audience on youtube and x, but still struggled to make panels profitable 50 bucks a year or $12 a month is just too steep for most people, especially when you can just use your own photos i mean, it's not like marques was trying to scam anyone, he was just trying to monetize his passion project and it didn't quite work out

Ugh, I guess it's not surprising that Panels flopped . I mean, who pays $50/year for digital wallpapers? That's just crazy talk . And the ad model was a total snooze fest . I'm surprised Marques didn't realize this sooner and just stuck to what he's good at: reviewing gear . At least the app had some decent visuals, but hey, that's not enough to make up for the lack of substance, right? The fact that it was open-sourced is kinda cool, I guess, but I'm not sure anyone will be able to revive it now. Maybe someone will try and turn it into a generative AI wallpaper thingy, lol... who knows .

omg, like what just happened with MKBHD's Panels app?? I had downloaded it thinking it would be so cool to have high-res wallpapers on my phone... but yeah, now its shutting down after failing to make money lolol. I guess 900k downloads isn't bad, but $95k is kinda low considering he has a huge audience on YouTube and X... i mean what was going through his mind when he launched the paid model tho? Charging people $50/year or $12/month for wallpapers that u can just get from ur own pics on ur phone . anyway, its kinda cool that it's being open-sourced tho, maybe someone will come up with a better idea for it

I'm not surprised at all that MKBHD's Panel app didn't work out . I mean, it was always gonna be tough to compete with people just using their own photos or something similar . And yeah, the ad-based model wasn't gonna cut it either, that just feels like a lazy way to make money.

I'm actually kinda sad it's shutting down tho . I loved the idea of having exclusive wallpapers and all that jazz . But at the same time, Marques is a smart dude, he knew it was flawed from the get-go. Giving it away as open-source might just give some genius out there a chance to breathe new life into it though .

Anyway, I think this is just another lesson in how hard it is to create something that stands on its own in today's market . You gotta be willing to take the risk and put in the work or you're just gonna get left behind .

I don't get why Marques Brownlee thought $50/year for high-res wallpapers was a good idea lol . I mean, it's just too much. People can easily download their own pics and use them for free, so what's the point of paying extra? Plus, the ads thing was super annoying... who wants to watch vids before downloading a pic? And don't even get me started on the data collection... ouch! It's like he thought people would just blindly pay because it was MKBHD involved. Newsflash: just 'cause you're popular, doesn't mean your business model is solid . Anyways, I guess it's good that the code will be open-sourced, but idk how much it'll change the game at this point... maybe someone can come up with a better idea, though?

ugh, another failed startup . i mean, i get it, the app was cool and all but charging $50/year or $12/month for wallpapers is just too much . i remember when i first saw Panels, i thought it was a genius idea - exclusive wallpapers for us tech heads . but then it dawned on me that you can just use your own phone pics from the internet and save yourself 50 bucks.

anyway, marques brownlee is doing the right thing by shutting it down and making the code open-source . i think it's cool that he's giving devs a chance to try and revive it, even if it seems unlikely . who knows maybe someone will come up with a new business model or something that'll make Panels 2.0 a hit ? fingers crossed!

OMG, I'm like totally shocked that MKBHD's Panels app is shutting down ! I mean, I love Marques Brownlee's content on YouTube, but his business idea just didn't seem to work out, right? The problem was the pricing model - $50/year or $12/month for premium wallpapers? Too expensive! Plus, people can easily use their own phone photos instead . And don't even get me started on data collection practices... major turn-off . But hey, at least it's open-sourced, so someone might try to revive it in the future ? Maybe a generative AI twist could make it more appealing? Fingers crossed that Marques will come up with something new and amazing soon! #RIPPanels #MKBHD #FailedStartup #GenerativeAI

"Believe you can and you're halfway there." - Theodore Roosevelt

I think MKBHD's decision to close Panels is a reminder that even the most well-intentioned ideas need to be flexible and adapt to changes in the market. Changing user behavior and preferences takes time, and it's hard to predict what will work in the long run.

Sometimes, you gotta know when to fold 'em, as they say . It's okay to acknowledge defeat and move on rather than trying to force a product that just isn't working. Panels might not have been the best example of this, but it's definitely something to learn from.

The idea of reviving Panels with a new direction is intriguing, though. Who knows what could happen if they repurposed it as a generative AI tool ? Stranger things have happened in tech!

Ugh, I'm not surprised MKBHD's Panels is shutting down ... like, it was always doomed to fail. The business model was so basic – charge people for what they can easily get for free elsewhere! And don't even get me started on the data collection practices at launch... just basic info grabber stuff .

I mean, Marques Brownlee is a genius, but he's not exactly the next Steve Jobs . The app had some cool features, I'll give it that, but it was never going to make bank. And 900k downloads and $95k in sales? That's cute, but like, for someone with his massive audience, it's a tiny drop in the bucket .

Open-sourcing Panels might be a good move, though... maybe some young dev can come along and give it a new life . But honestly, I wouldn't count on it . The tech market changes fast, and if no one sees the potential in reviving Panels, then it's just gonna sit there collecting dust .

It's always sad to see a good idea go under . I mean, Marques Brownlee has this huge following on YouTube and he tries something new and it just doesn't take off . The problem is that he's trying to sell exclusive wallpapers for like 50 bucks a year or something... who's gonna pay that? It's just not worth the hassle. And I can see why the app store took notice, it's like, you can just use your own phone pics and download them for free .

And yeah, changing the development team is hard, but sometimes you gotta shake things up to get new ideas . But still, it's a shame that Panels didn't work out . I guess that's why they say "better safe than sorry"... or something like that .