MKBHD accepts flaws in the wallpaper app and makes the changes we always wanted

Key insights

• MKBHD’s Panels wallpaper app faced backlash when it was first released due to its expensive subscription model.
• The YouTuber promised changes at the time, which are now being implemented. The app now offers a cheaper subscription tier coupled with the complete elimination of in-feed ads.
• Initial concerns about approval dates were also addressed by the promise of free weekly art deliveries.

The harsh The truth of the world we live in is that if something were available for free, few people would pay for it. That was or is the case with tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee’s (MKBHD) Panels Wallpaper app, which launched last month only to be lambasted by everyone and their mother.

At the time, the app was heavily criticized, not only for being mediocre, but also for being free to use with ads. To get full access to the app, which included all full-resolution wallpapers and no ads, users had to shell out $49.99 per year or $11.99 per month. Yes, users were disappointed with the app, but they were mostly upset because they didn’t expect it from a community tech figure.

MKBHD then spoke out and indicated that he was aware of the high level of criticism from users and was working on some changes that would improve the app.

Now, about two and a half weeks later, the tech YouTuber has uploaded a new video that highlights several changes made to the app, including a cheaper $1.99 per month “Standard” subscription tier. The cheaper tier offers no ads on individual full-resolution wallpapers, as well as exclusive app icons, as shown in the screenshot below (ignore the CAD pricing).

The original subscription has now been renamed the “Unlimited” tier and offers all the benefits of the standard subscription, plus access to all available collections and early access to new wallpapers. The Unlimited tier only makes sense for those who want to purchase multiple collections, which are typically priced between $4.99 and $10.99.

No ads in the wallpaper feed, less ads for full resolution downloads

Proceeds from subscriptions and wallpaper collections continue to go to artists on the platform. The app’s free experience has also been improved: users will now see a 30-second ad instead of two when downloading a full-resolution wallpaper (4K or 8K).

All non-collection 1080p wallpapers were also made available for free, which essentially means free users wouldn’t have to watch ads to download them and in-feed ads have been completely eliminated!

Another problem when the app was first created was the excessive permission requirements, including location data, usage data, identifiers, and more. Users were confused as to why a wallpaper app would require so much user data. At the time, Brownlee noted that the eligibility requirements “depend largely on ad network proposals” and that a solution was being worked on.

With today’s announcement, MKBHD clarified that this was simply a case of too many unnecessary boxes being checked and the app doesn’t need all of this data to function. “That was my mistake in the revelations and that has been corrected,” Brownlee said.

Finally, the YouTuber also gave information about what users can expect from the app in the future. “We’re committed to uploading new art to the app every Friday, every week, and we have a lot of things in the queue,” Brownlee said. He suggested this in his initial response to the harsh criticism the app had received. Today is Friday and at the time of writing the app does not show a “crash” for me. It is likely that the free offers will be available starting next Friday, October 18th. MKBHD also added that the app is regularly updated on the Play Store and App Store and users can find details of the updates on Panels X (Twitter) account.

A one-star review may curse us forever, and I know the comments and memes will probably never end, even though some of them were pretty funny. Hopefully with enough transparency we can regain your respect and trust and ideally the people who want the wallpapers now have a place to get them.