Marques Brownlee, the YouTuber known as MKBHD, has addressed criticism surrounding the launch of his new wallpaper app, Panels. In a post on Tuesday, Brownlee acknowledged users’ concerns regarding the app’s pricing and privacy issues, stating that he plans to address both moving forward.
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The app was revealed during Brownlee’s highly anticipated iPhone 16 review on Monday, but much of the attention shifted to Panels rather than the new iPhone itself. “Part of building in public is getting immediate mass feedback, which is pretty dope. It’s almost exactly like publishing a YouTube video,” Brownlee commented in response to the criticism.
Part of building in public is getting mass feedback immediately, which is pretty dope. Almost exactly like publishing a YouTube video
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) September 24, 2024
First thing we're doing is fixing the excessive data disclosures, as people rightfully brought up. For transparency, we'd never actually ask for…
Panels provides access to a curated collection of high-resolution wallpapers from digital artists, but the $49.99 per year (or $11.99 per month) subscription for Panels Plus sparked discontent among fans. The premium subscription allows users to download all wallpapers in high resolution. For those using the free version, a more limited selection of wallpapers is available, but users can only download them in standard definition after watching two ads.
In response to the pricing backlash, Brownlee said on X, “As far as pricing, I hear you! It’s our own challenge to deliver that kind of value for the premium version,” while also promising to reduce ad frequency for free users.
Additionally, iOS users raised concerns about the app’s privacy practices, noting that it requests to track user activity across websites and apps, and may also use location data. Brownlee responded that the data disclosures are “likely too broad” and clarified that the app doesn’t actually request sensitive data like location or internet history. He reassured users that the Panels team is working to fix these issues.
After more than a decade as a tech reviewer, Brownlee has been expanding his ventures into product development, including his role as chief creative partner at Ridge and a sneaker collaboration with Atoms. He emphasized that Panels is built from the ground up and will share profits equally with featured digital artists. While it’s currently focused on wallpapers, Brownlee says the app will “consistently improve over time.”
