Marques Brownlee admits he “dropped the ball” with Panels app & revamps monetization

As a long-time follower of MKBHD (Marques Brownlee), I must admit that his recent mishap with Panels, his wallpaper app, took me by surprise. However, I’ve always admired his transparency and ability to learn from his mistakes, which is why I wholeheartedly applaud him for addressing this issue head-on.


As a passionate gamer, I’ve found myself in an uncomfortable spot lately. Marques Brownlee’s wallpaper app, Panels, has stirred up some heat among its user base. The issue lies in his decision to monetize several features within the app, which primarily serves the purpose of customizing my phone’s background. I can’t help but feel a bit let down, as I was expecting something more straightforward and less commercialized.

Consequently, he’s pledged to significantly enhance the quality of this app, offering it for free, and will charge significantly less for the same content. He admitted that a wallpaper app is quite specific in its appeal, given that most contemporary smartphones allow users to customize their home screens with different wallpapers.

When the Panels app first came out, it faced significant criticism regarding its premium wallpapers feature, as many users were puzzled about why they should pay for such an item.

Marques Brownlee articulated his intention to develop an application where users could purchase wallpapers while supporting the artists behind them. However, he expressed dissatisfaction as the free version of Panels didn’t meet his expectations.

As a gamer, I acknowledge that I made a blunder, and I failed to convey things clearly. What I intended to offer was an exceptional, no-cost gaming experience for everyone, but I fell short. In my latest video, I owned up to the fact that I messed up.

“The people were right. If I was reviewing this app, I wouldn’t have been very nice.”

MKBHD shared that he’s completely eliminating ads from the wallpaper feed, ensuring it remains uncluttered for users. However, if someone desires a high-resolution wallpaper not part of a collection, they can obtain it after briefly viewing an advertisement. The YouTuber asserted this ad serves to “cover server costs and compensate artists.

Moreover, even as he continues to provide a subscription service, the costs have significantly decreased. Now, it’s just $2 per month, which equates to an annual fee of $24 if you prefer ad-free viewing.

Additionally, there’s another subscription option available at $12 per month, which grants access to all the premium collections and provides every future wallpaper collection as well. Moreover, there’s a reduced-price plan offering the same $12 monthly tier, known as Panels+, for just $50 annually.

Public response has overwhelmingly applauded Brownlee’s courageous approach in directly addressing the controversy and implementing alterations.

If you’re willing to give criticism, then you should also be prepared to receive it.” This comment was no surprise coming from that particular YouTube user, and I wouldn’t expect anything different from Marques and his team. They’re moving forward!

Recognizing the error, avoiding any defensive explanations, and addressing the issues raised, this is a commendable way of handling conflict, according to someone else.

Additionally, he asserted he has several bug resolutions and content enhancements lined up for the application, and intends to maintain its operation indefinitely.

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2024-10-11 20:48