Sad news for fans: MKBHD is shutting down his wallpaper app Panels. Limited adoption and competition led to its closure. Save your wallpapers before it stops working!
MKBHD Faces a Setback With His Wallpaper App
Marques Brownlee, known as MKBHD, is one of the most popular tech creators today. Many fans followed his move into app development with excitement. One of his apps, Panels, focused on clean and modern wallpaper designs. But interest dropped over time, so the team decided to shut the app down. They no longer see enough users to support ongoing updates.
Panels Offered a Simple and Minimalist Look
Panels gave users an easy way to create stylish wallpapers. It used clean shapes, smooth colors, and simple layouts. The design matched MKBHD’s modern style. Early users enjoyed the look and feel of the app. But after the first wave of downloads, many people stopped using it. Another app from the same team, Retro, grew faster and kept more users.
The App Reached Only a Small Group
Panels did not grow because it served a very small audience. Personalization apps often attract design-focused users, not everyday smartphone users. Most people stick to built-in wallpapers or large free collections. Even with MKBHD’s big fanbase, Panels appealed to only a niche group. This made it hard for the app to reach long-term success.
Strong Competition Made Growth Hard
Panels also faced tough competition. App stores are full of wallpaper apps with thousands of designs and more features. Many of them are free and updated often. Panels focused on minimal designs, which looked great but reached fewer people. At the same time, Android and iOS improved their own wallpaper tools. This reduced the need for third-party apps like Panels.
Platform Limits Added More Barriers
Panels also ran into problems with platform rules. iOS limits how much users can change their home screen. This forced the team to scale back some features. They also had to maintain the app on both iOS and Android, which required time and money. Because user growth stayed low, the team decided it was not worth the effort.
Users Can Still Open the App
People who already installed Panels can still use it. But the team no longer offers support. They will not release updates or fix future bugs. New versions of Android or iOS may cause problems that the team will not repair. Users should save any wallpapers they want to keep, because the app may stop working well over time.
The Team Will Focus on Higher-Impact Projects
The shutdown may disappoint some fans, but the choice makes sense. The team wants to work on apps with stronger engagement and broader appeal. Panels still taught them helpful lessons about user needs, design trends, and platform limits. Even though the app never became a big hit, it played an important role in expanding the MKBHD brand into software.
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