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MKBHD's Panels wallpaper app is shutting down (www.androidauthority.com)
submitted 5 days ago by Fit_Series_573@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
41 comments fedilink hide all child comments

TL;DR

MKBHD is shutting down the Panels app at the end of this month, citing issues with finding the right development team fit.

You can no longer buy collections, and you must download existing wallpapers before the app is removed.

Users will receive automatic pro-rated refunds for active subscriptions, and the app code is promised to be open-sourced after shutdown.

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[-] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 26 points 4 days ago

Users will receive automatic pro-rated refunds for active subscriptions, and the app code is promised to be open-sourced after shutdown.

That's the correct way to wind down a cloud based subscription app.

Not that I'm in favor of the entire business model of cloud based subscription apps, but at least Marques is ending this one the right way.

[-] the_riviera_kid@lemmy.world 112 points 5 days ago

And nothing of value will be lost.

[-] WanderWisley@lemmy.world 15 points 4 days ago

Well that’s a shame for the 5 people who used it.

[-] StitchInTime@piefed.social 52 points 4 days ago

I spent $50 a year on wallpapers once as a monthly subscription. It was to support an independent artist that hand painted video game scenes I enjoyed, produced 1-3 new paintings per month, granted access to his back catalog, and the deliverable was high quality scans I could download and use at my leisure.

Since he is an artist, and you could feel that each painting took weeks to complete, I felt justified.

Never had a desire to pay for an app with generic wallpapers though, or to financially support someone who generates my annual salary per sponsorship deal.

[-] audaxdreik@pawb.social 10 points 4 days ago

It kills me because I feel like culturally we've really adjusted to this idea of individually patronizing the arts ... if only our whole economy weren't centered around squeezing out every last drop of disposable income from us.

[-] GobberingGoblin@reddthat.com 1 points 4 days ago

Sounds cool. Could you please tell me the name of that artist?

[-] StitchInTime@piefed.social 4 points 4 days ago

Sure - https://www.patreon.com/orioto

He might be doing some digital now (I’m no longer subscribed and I see some free digital sketches in there), but I know when I subscribed the final work was painted on canvas.

His favorite one of mine is titled “Breath of Adventure”, and I’m fortunate he shared a 4k scan that looks amazing on my monitor.

[-] Imhotep@lemmy.world 75 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

How fast was that fucker driving again? in a residential area, with "watch out for the kids" signs if I remember correctly.

Edit: 96 in a 35 mph zone

[-] lemming741@lemmy.world 37 points 5 days ago

In a sponsored shill video that also got him roasted. He must have been in 96mph hurry to destroy his youtube career.

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/marques-brownlee-youtube-mkbhd-apologizes-speeding-controversy-rcna180008

[-] Stefan_S_from_H@discuss.tchncs.de 16 points 5 days ago

I unsubscribed. But he gained new subscribers. Nobody else cared.

[-] Sunshine@piefed.ca 5 points 4 days ago

I wish YouTube had the block channels option.

[-] Snowpix@lemmy.ca 3 points 4 days ago

I recommend the BlockTube extension if your browser supports it.

[-] PKscope@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

In addition to the other commenter mentioning "Do Not Recommend", there is an extension called BlockTube that is pretty handy.

[-] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 4 days ago

It does?
3 dots -> Do not recommend this channel.

[-] Sunshine@piefed.ca 2 points 4 days ago

That option doesn’t seem as strong as a block but it’s a start.

[-] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 4 days ago

You mean by block not even able to open the video?
Yeah I'm not aware of any way to do that

[-] Sunshine@piefed.ca 1 points 4 days ago

Yes in that you do not see the channel at all.

[-] mintiefresh@piefed.social 1 points 3 days ago

Wow, I totally did not know about this.

I don't watch him anyways so it'll just stay that way.

[-] AudaciousArmadillo@piefed.blahaj.zone 89 points 5 days ago

Never heard of it. Why do you need an app to download wallpapers in the first place?

[-] Fit_Series_573@lemmy.world 64 points 5 days ago

It’s been around for like 2 years now I believe. There was a bit of hype about it when it first came out since he’s a popular influencer but it didn’t get many to actually sign up for the $50 a year subscription. I do know people did the on time purchases of some individual wallpapers though. As to why, I think he is too into the Apple ecosystem of everything being a subscription that he forgets that most people can’t afford nonsense.

[-] nulluser@lemmy.world 101 points 5 days ago

$50/yr for wallpapers?!?! That's some asshat seeing the enshitification train and thinking, "Man I gotta get on THAT!"

$50/yr?!?!

For WALLPAPERS?!?!

[-] rozodru@pie.andmc.ca 67 points 5 days ago

amusing thing is that when it came out someone ripped all the wallpapers from the app and put them online for free. most of it was AI slop anyways.

[-] Fit_Series_573@lemmy.world 14 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Haha yeah they were in like a Google cloud folder the app would call to to retrieve them. They were available for free the same day it released

[-] FireWire400@lemmy.world 14 points 5 days ago

It had some popular YouTuber's name on it, that's enough for some to buy anything

[-] JohnEdwa@sopuli.xyz 3 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

It was split with the artists of said wallpapers, and was also kind of a gallery app thing.
But hey, as a Finnish saying goes, "It isn't the one who asks who is stupid, but the one who pays."

[-] scarabic@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago

I can only imagine with his audience size what his team looks like right now. I’m sure they aren’t content with standard YT revenue and are always looking for ways to turn his massive fame into more dollars. They cover a lot of silly expensive high end shit like Rivians and Apple Vision. It’s not crazy to think that they could milk the rich fools for a buck. Believe it or not there are people who think to themselves “Hm, interesting. $50? Okay, that’s nothing, I’ll check it out.”

[-] iturnedintoanewt@lemmy.world 13 points 5 days ago

Not for this one but hey Muzei is nice. You get new wallpapers daily (or whichever frequency you might wanna set) on anything interesting you. By default it's art, but you can get additional plugins about whatever scratches your itch. I'm fine with it downloading daily landscapes from Bing (but without Bing getting to check at anything in my phone).

[-] ICastFist@programming.dev 6 points 5 days ago

It's really weird how getting old nowadays means "I know how to do this shit FOR FREE" for so many computer related things. Give me 1h and I'll handpick 60+ images to rotate as wallpapers.

[-] de_lancre@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago

60+ images

Jokes on you, I wrote own shader that I use in simple script that shows it on background as wallpaper. The future is now, old man!

[-] piyuv@lemmy.world 6 points 5 days ago

Wallhaven?

[-] Not_mikey@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 5 days ago

I could see it being a good way to support artists, if that's where the money is going.

[-] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 45 points 5 days ago

Genuine question: who bought this?

[-] limonfiesta@lemmy.world 20 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

It was used exclusively by his viewers who had formed parasocial relationships.

Literally, no one else.

[-] Lfrith@lemmy.ca 2 points 4 days ago

I'd figure people who think watching ads is entertainment which is basically what his video are would be the group to buy a wallpaper subscription. And he has a lot of subscribers so likely figured there would be enough suckers out of millions to make something that barely cost anything to make to see how many would bite.

[-] NewNewAugustEast@lemmy.zip 8 points 4 days ago

Wallpaper App? Like WTF? Isn't a wallpaper just whatever you put there and that is pretty much freely available?

PAY!!! I don't use wallpaper at all, but if I did, I couldn't imagine paying!

[-] possumparty 3 points 3 days ago

Iirc, 80% of them were AI slop.

[-] bluemoon@piefed.social 15 points 4 days ago

full proprietary circle

open-source never dies

[-] garretble@lemmy.world 15 points 5 days ago

I totally forgot about this app because, well, it seemed pretty forgettable.

I'm also not in the target demo since I currently have my wallpaper set to whatever my phone wants to rotate in and out every hour from my Photos app.

[-] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 1 points 4 days ago

I totally forgot about this app because, well, it seemed pretty forgettable.

It's too trivial to remember.

[-] Fit_Series_573@lemmy.world 17 points 5 days ago

Not much to this for most people unless you did buy any of the wallpapers made by artists on there when it had its inital hype. If you did, best to download and back those up ASAP

[-] MacStainless@piefed.social 3 points 5 days ago

If anyone is looking for a great wallpaper app that supports a good company, Wallaroo from Icon Factory is absolutely fantastic and supports good devs that have made great software for a long time.

this post was submitted on 01 Dec 2025
188 points (100.0% liked)

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