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Marques Brownlee's Panels App Shuts Down Amid Criticism

12/1/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Marques Brownlee's Panels wallpaper app will shut down on December 31, 2023, just over a year after its launch.
The app received criticism for high subscription fees and intrusive ads, leading Brownlee to acknowledge development mistakes and a lack of shared vision among the team.
Following the shutdown, all user data will be deleted, and active subscriptions will be refunded.
Brownlee plans to release the app's code as open source on GitHub, highlighting challenges in monetizing smartphone wallpapers in a saturated market.

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Story summary

Marques Brownlee's Panels wallpaper app will shut down on December 31, 2023, just over a year after its launch.
The app received criticism for high subscription fees and intrusive ads, leading Brownlee to acknowledge development mistakes and a lack of shared vision among the team.
Following the shutdown, all user data will be deleted, and active subscriptions will be refunded.
Brownlee plans to release the app's code as open source on GitHub, highlighting challenges in monetizing smartphone wallpapers in a saturated market.