The end of the road for Panels
Do you remember when MKBHD launched that wallpaper app and the internet kind of lost its collective mind over the pricing? Well, the saga is officially coming to a close. Marques Brownlee and the team behind “Panels” have announced they are pulling the plug.
Refund details
For those of you who did subscribe, you aren’t being left entirely in the lurch. The team plans to initiate a refund process for annual subscribers. Interestingly, the report notes this process begins on December 31, 2025, covering the remainder of any subscription period after that date.
In the meantime, any wallpapers you already purchased won’t just vanish; they will remain available for download until the shutdown is fully complete.
Why this matters and where to go now
Honestly, the writing was kind of on the wall for this one. While the wallpapers were undeniably pretty, the subscription model for static images is a tough sell.
If you are looking for a replacement, there are many wallpaper apps available to choose from right now, both in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. That said, I personally use “Backdrops” as it has been the gold standard on Android for years. This is not a PhoneArena recommendation, but rather, my own personal preference. It is also now available on iOS as well.
A lesson in value
I’m glad the Panels team is doing the right thing by open-sourcing the code and offering refunds, however, I can’t say I’ll miss the app itself. It’s a solid reminder that just because a name is big, doesn’t mean the product is a guaranteed hit.
