A once-popular and controversial app is shutting down.
The team is open-sourcing the code, but the service is dead.
Marques Brownlee's "Panels" wallpaper application is being discontinued. The announcement follows controversy regarding the app's pricing model when it was initially released.
According to a recent statement, the application, though popular on both the Google Play Store and App Store, ultimately proved unsustainable and did not align with the development team's vision.
Subscription refunds will be offered to annual subscribers, beginning on December 31, 2025, and will cover the remaining portion of their subscriptions beyond that date. Wallpapers already purchased can still be downloaded until the application is fully shut down.
The subscription-based model proved challenging despite the wallpapers' visual appeal.
Numerous alternative wallpaper applications are currently available on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
However, the team will release the app's code as open source. This decision may enable other developers to utilize the framework to create new applications with potentially more viable business models.
The decision to open-source the code and provide refunds is commendable, even though the application itself will not be missed. It serves as a reminder that a well-known name does not ensure a product's success.