In a recent video, popular tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee addressed the backlash surrounding his newly launched wallpaper app, Panels.
Brownlee candidly acknowledged the pricing misstep at launch, stating that he and his team “failed on the price front.” The app faced a wave of criticism from fans across various platforms, including his MKBHD YouTube channel and other social media outlets.
Brownlee didn’t mince words when discussing the app’s initial shortcomings, admitting, “If I was reviewing this app, I would not have been very nice.”
A major point of contention among users was the premium “Panels Plus” subscription, which was priced at $11.99 monthly or $49.99 annually. This tier promised an ad-free experience and full access to the app’s wallpaper collections. In response to the feedback, Brownlee and his team have implemented several improvements to enhance the free version of the app.
These enhancements include the removal of in-feed advertisements and making all non-collection wallpapers available in 1080p resolution at no cost and without ads. Additionally, users now have the option to obtain a full-resolution wallpaper by watching a single 30-second advertisement.
The subscription model, however, is here to stay, but that’s also becoming cheaper. The original monthly and annual prices are still there, but there is now a cheaper “standard” subscription for $2 a month. Here is what Brownlee had to say about it:
Even though subscriptions are incredibly unpopular, we wanted to at least offer one that made sense for the wallpaper power user… for how few of you actually exist.
Marques Brownlee also tackled the privacy concerns that arose from the extensive list of tracked items displayed in the App Store’s App Privacy section for his Panels app. Acknowledging this as “another blunder,” Brownlee explained that the list was “way too broad” and did not accurately reflect the app’s actual data collection practices.
Brownlee clarified that the list represented potential data points that developers are required to disclose to the App Store, indicating what the app might request at some future point. Brownlee admitted that his team had erred on the side of caution, stating, “We just checked way too many boxes.”
He attributed much of this over-reporting to “broad suggestions” from AdMob, the app’s advertising service. However, Brownlee was quick to reassure users about their data privacy, emphatically stating, “To be clear, I do not want your data.”
Brownlee highlighted that users can fully utilize the app and access wallpapers without the need to create an account.