MKBHD reveals the real reason why he shut down his Panels wallpaper app

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Popular tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee explained why he closed down his wallpaper app, Panels, after only a year of operation.

YouTuber Marques Brownlee, who goes by ‘MKBHD,’ launched his own app for wallpapers in September 2024.

The ‘Panels’ app let users download hundreds of free wallpapers, but these were only available in standard resolution. To get a wallpaper, users first had to watch two ads.

Originally, the app required a subscription to remove ads and access higher-quality wallpapers. This decision caused a strong negative reaction from fans, so the creator changed the app’s payment system and significantly reduced the number of advertisements.

I’m thrilled to finally launch this app! I’ve been getting questions about where I find my wallpapers for ages, and now I have the answer: it’s PANELS! You can find it on both iOS and Android.

— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) September 23, 2024

In December 2025, MKBHD announced the end of Panels. Subscribers to the annual plan received refunds, and the app’s code was released for anyone to use.

MKBHD says Panels launch was “terribly communicated”

Brownlee wasn’t happy with how Panels was released, noting that its features weren’t explained well. He shared more details about why he created the app in an interview with creator Jon Youshaei.

I get asked about my wallpaper all the time! It’s so common, in fact, that if you type ‘MKBHD’ into Google and then ‘wallpaper,’ it’s one of the first things that comes up as a search suggestion, according to him.

I could simply send you the picture, but I figured it would be nicer if you had a way to see more of their work.

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Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) repeated his concerns about how Panels’ features were explained and promoted when it first came out.

He conceded he still thought the idea had merit, but acknowledged the launch wasn’t executed well. He pinpointed a lack of clear communication as the primary reason for the failure.

Today, most people would describe Panels as either a subscription-based wallpaper app or a paid one. While it originally started as a free app, it also allowed users to purchase wallpapers individually. A subscription unlocked access to a constantly expanding collection of designs.

Even though it had potential, the launch wasn’t handled as well as it could have been. It didn’t attract or keep as many users as we’d hoped, so we eventually had to close it down. However, we gained valuable lessons from the experience, and I believe it’s something we’d try again in the future. Overall, it was a worthwhile learning opportunity.

This new information comes from MKBHD’s interview with Youshei, following his previous statement about the single biggest improvement he’d make if he ran YouTube.

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2026-03-17 23:49