MKBHD’s Panels App Shuts Down: What’s Next?
▼ Summary
– MKBHD is shutting down the Panels wallpaper app at the end of the month, citing an inability to find a development team that shared the project’s vision.
– Users can no longer purchase new wallpaper collections and must download any previously acquired wallpapers before the app is removed.
– Active subscribers will receive automatic pro-rated refunds, and the app’s code will be open-sourced after the shutdown.
– The app launched successfully in September 2024, reaching the top of app store charts and facilitating over two million wallpaper downloads.
– It initially aimed to share MKBHD’s personal wallpapers but evolved into a platform intended to support artists and the wallpaper community.
Finding a high-quality, free wallpaper for your Android device is simpler than ever, thanks to a wealth of excellent apps and online resources. Popular tech YouTuber MKBHD (Marques Brownlee) entered this space with his own ambitious application, Panels. While the app experienced some initial growing pains, it quickly found its footing and gained significant popularity. However, Marques has now announced that the Panels app will be permanently shut down at the end of this month.
The decision to sunset the app came after extensive consideration. MKBHD cited challenges in assembling a development team that fully aligned with the project’s long-term vision and passion as the primary reason for closing. Rather than continue operating without meaningful progress toward its original goals, the team opted for a clean conclusion.
For current users, several important changes are now in effect. The ability to purchase new Collections within the app has been disabled. Any wallpapers already downloaded to a device will remain accessible, but users must download their preferred wallpapers before the app’s removal, as the download functionality will cease entirely. All active subscriptions will receive automatic pro-rated refunds; users do not need to take any action, though they can request a refund earlier if preferred. Following the shutdown, all user data will be permanently deleted from the servers.
In a move that may benefit the wider developer community, Marques has committed to open-sourcing the complete Panels app code under the Apache 2.0 license after the shutdown process is complete. This will allow others to examine, learn from, and potentially build upon the original project.
Panels began as a direct response to frequent viewer requests for the wallpapers featured in MKBHD’s popular smartphone review videos. Its scope expanded into a platform intended to support artists and foster a wallpaper-focused community. The app saw notable success upon its launch in September 2024, quickly reaching the number one spot in the Photos category on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Over its lifetime, users downloaded more than two million wallpapers through the platform.
While its run was relatively short, Panels represented a sincere and ambitious effort to serve a specific niche within the tech ecosystem. Its departure highlights the difficulties of sustaining a passion-driven project, especially when key team dynamics shift. The legacy of the app will live on through its open-sourced code, offering a foundation for future innovation.
(Source: Android Authority)
