Tech Influencer Marques Brownlee Announces Shutdown of Popular Wallpaper App Panels

Marques Brownlee, the renowned technology content creator, has revealed plans to discontinue his subscription-based mobile phone wallpaper application, Panels. The app, which provided a diverse collection of digital wallpapers for a monthly fee starting at $11.99, will cease operations on December 31.

Brownlee, known for his critical reviews of new tech products, launched Panels in September 2024. Despite its initial success, including topping app download charts and achieving two million wallpaper downloads, the app faced scrutiny over its pricing structure and privacy considerations shortly after its debut.

In a recent statement, Brownlee acknowledged the challenges. “We made mistakes in making our first app and ultimately we weren’t able to turn it into the vision that I had had,” he explained. He had envisioned Panels evolving into “a vibrant ecosystem” supporting wallpaper artists.

While calling the experience “a rollercoaster ride,” Brownlee ultimately conceded the app’s inability to sustain itself, attributing it to a “niche” appeal and audience. Millenium TV recalls that Brownlee had previously highlighted the app’s limited market, stating that it was designed for a “insanely small” target demographic who actively seek wallpaper applications.

Brownlee extended gratitude to the artists who contributed to the app’s content. Users of Panels will retain all purchased or downloaded wallpapers after the closure and will receive refunds for any active subscriptions. Furthermore, the underlying code for Panels will be released as open source, allowing developers to create their own iterations of the app.

“This will allow anyone to build on what we started – we’re excited to see what new projects may grow from it,” a notice on the Panels website indicated.