Panels Wallpapers Reviews

As a fan of MKBHD I was excited to see this pop up but my initial impressions haven’t been great. There is a decent variety of wallpapers and they do appear to be high quality and curated which is more than can be said about other wallpaper apps. The pricing options are steep for what’s available right now. There is a free SD download if you watch 2 ads but this was buggy and required me to exit out of PanelsWallpapers a few times for it to finally give credit. I ended up watching 5 or 6 2 ad clusters for the credit to be applied. The SD options aren’t really something that I would want to set as my wallpaper and for a wallpaper app that seems like a weird option. Splitting revenue with the artists is a good move but as-is it is a hard sell. Maybe as the content expands it will make more sense or if they have limited HD downloads ad-based instead of just the SD option it would be worth the frustration.

I like the wallpapers, tho it’s hard to preview them since the bottom 3rd of the image is cut off by UI elements. I assume it’s to stop people from screenshotting to get past the paywall (which is overpriced imo). I’ve seen other developers have safe guards against screenshotting such as picsart which blacks the screen if you attempt to screenshot. That would be a much better solution that way we can actually preview the full screen.

I think a better monetization method would be to use credits. Get 1 credit for watching an ad and use it to download a picture is SD resolution. Or pay 99 cents for 5 HD credits. I think people would be much more willing to pay $1 for a wallpaper. That rather than an anti-consumer subscription that’ll make most of its money off of people forgetting they are subscribed.

All in all, it’s very polished minus the questionable preview UI and the aggressive monetization.

I’ve using PanelsWallpapers for two weeks now and here is my review (pun intended).

I love the idea of apps coming from renowned influencers like MKBHD — since PanelsWallpapers is tied to their personal brand, they’re keen to maintain their reputation, which means they make sure not to compromise on quality. I was so glad to see no intrusive pop-up ads or gimmicks, and overall, PanelsWallpapers feels clean and well-designed.

That being said, I do have a couple of concerns. PanelsWallpapers offers a basic free layer where you can download non-premium wallpapers by watching two video ads. However, even after watching the ads, the wallpapers are only available in SD quality. For non-premium wallpapers, I believe users should get access to the original, higher-quality versions after sitting through the ads.

Additionally, PanelsWallpapers asks for access to my photos just to download a wallpaper, which feels unnecessary and a bit odd. I’m not sure why it needs this permission, but it makes the experience slightly uncomfortable.

Overall, I appreciate the clean design and ad-light experience, but addressing the quality of free wallpapers and clarifying the need for photo access would improve PanelsWallpapers . Looking forward to future updates!

$50 per year or $12 per month and you collect my data? At least according to PanelsWallpapers Store. Yes the images are stunning and PanelsWallpapers is fluid but I am not the target audience with this pricing model. Maybe offer one full resolution download per week or month if the user watches a certain number of higher revenue generating ads during that period. Again to clarify, this rating is not based on the art quality or PanelsWallpapers performance just the method of monetization when taking in to account all of the alternatives that exist. If I were the type of person that constantly changes their wallpapers then this might be a more appealing subscription, but a couple of dollars cheaper than a standard Netflix subscription for a wallpaper app seems pretty steep. Again I’m not the target audience for this.

I was thrilled today when MKBHD announced his new wallpapers app, Panels. Being a longtime fan, I downloaded it immediately. However, I was shocked to discover that accessing full-definition wallpapers requires a subscription of $12 a month or $50 a year. This pricing seems exorbitant for wallpapers, especially when there are countless apps and websites offering high-quality images for free or at a much lower cost.

Moreover, even to access some of the standard-definition wallpapers, you’re required to watch two ads, which feels excessive and GREATLY diminishes the user experience. I understand that apps need to generate revenue, but this approach feels more like a cash grab than a service for fans.

I had high expectations given MKBHD’s reputation. Unfortunately, PanelsWallpapers falls short and feels like a missed opportunity. It’s disappointing to see such a high paywall for something as simple as wallpapers. I hope the pricing model is reconsidered to make it more accessible for all fans.

Maybe it’s just not for me but I seriously don’t see the value in a subscription for phone wallpapers especially not at the price being offered with PanelsWallpapers.
I understand that the artists need to make money for their work, but at $12 a month seems high especially since I don’t think I would be changing my wallpaper more than once a month at most. Watching ads for wallpapers is alright but it only being SD is makes it not worth it in my opinion when I’d be able to find a full HD wallpaper on many apps and subreddits for free.
I’d be more interested in single payment purchases for very high quality and interesting wallpapers that I would use long term.
Currently though I’m just not interested in paying a subscription fee for wallpapers.

At first I found PanelsWallpapers from YouTuber MKBHD. I was looking for wallpapers so I downloaded unaware that there were many ads and a subscription since he didn’t really make it clear in his advertising. To my surprise there were many ads and you had to watch them to actually get the wallpaper or pay a subscription. On top of that you had to pay fully on some of the wallpapers available.

Now I’m not fully against the developers here since I understand you have to make money but this is honestly just like any other wallpaper app but with a smaller collection. I will admit that the photos displayed do have incredible value and are stunning. Overall, PanelsWallpapers was just not for me and now what I was expecting. Thank you :)

PanelsWallpapers interface is clean and easy to use. There are numerous beautiful wallpapers in different styles, each with the photographer/creator clearly cited. However, all of the wallpapers appear to have a cost associated with them. You can subscribe to PanelsWallpapers itself and unlock all the content (yearly or monthly subscription fee). If you just want one specific wallpaper (or collection of wallpapers), you can specifically buy it. Alternatively, if you want an SD version of the wallpaper, you can watch ads to unlock it. Overall, I think this is a great app for people with money to spare and a love for phone wallpapers, but for everyone else, there are plenty of free wallpapers online that will do the trick.

So PanelsWallpapers is already getting dunked on pretty hard, but I’m not here to troll. I was super excited to support a product backed by Marques, but I have a few issues.

1. $50/year is clearly asking a lot for wallpapers. I understand that PanelsWallpapers may be targeted for enthusiasts, but those kind of people are already willing to go through efforts to find good wallpapers that don’t require a paywall. As someone who enjoys changing my wallpaper quite often, even changing four times a month means a dollar a switch. Making PanelsWallpapers a buck or two a month would greatly increase its reach.

2. The free version with ads (taking up to a minute per photo) should at least offer the high definition version of the photo. It’s hard to imagine a customer who is willing to have a dedicated wallpaper app that would settle for standard definition WITH ads.

3. There should be an option to view the photos full screen (even if watermarked), as the full effect of a wallpaper includes its interaction with time and other buttons on your Lock Screen.

The photos are super cool, and I’d love to subscribe, but cannot at this price.

I got pretty excited for this after seeing marques’ tweet cause I’m always a fan of his wallpaper but the costs are just a punch in the gut. You need an expensive subscription to access the full res art?! Seriously?! I understand the artists need to be paid but the fact that it’s a never ending subscription instead of a one time charge or individual charge per art is crazy. No one is changing their wallpaper dozens of times a month to justify that kind of high cost. Even so, the ad version would’ve been fine enough if they at least gave you better than 1080p resolution. They should either change from a subscription pricing model all together or make it so watching enough ads will eventually get you a full res image.

This is a generic wallpaper app with a MKBHD sponsorship attached to it. It’s either $12 a month or 65% off the yearly at $50 which is egregious bait to make people spend the $50. You technically can get free wallpapers if you watch 2 ads but you’ll only get SD quality instead of full 4k quality. Overall a horrible offering as opposed to competing wallpaper apps.

MKBHD is seen and respected by the community for calling out the blatantly bad business practices. So for him to attach his name to PanelsWallpapers which is a bad reskin of every other wallpaper app already out there is a genuinely bad look for his brand. One of the wallpapers is just the color orange! Nothing else! Sad to see this from such a trusted creator.

I saw MHBHD’s video that mentioned PanelsWallpapers; wished there was a playlist/curator list with his wallpapers that were featured. Also, when opening PanelsWallpapers , I don’t like that I’m forced to select 5 artists off the bat to follow without seeing their entire portfolio. After that, I don’t see a way to preview any wallpaper in full to fit my screen without buying the premium membership.
Overall, pretty disappointed with the launch. I just want to be able to preview a whole wallpaper on my device before blindly buying a 1/2 cropped version.

I really like the idea for PanelsWallpapers . It’s an easy way to put artwork that you may want to look at everyday as a background on your phone. I like how easy it is to connect with new artists too. The biggest problem is that a $50 a year subscription just isn’t going to fly with a lot of people. The best feature on PanelsWallpapers , in my opinion, is being able to purchase a collection from an artist. I think a direct payment is going to be preferable to subscriptions. I think most people will find a few wallpapers they like and then never pay for more, so a subscription will disinterest people.

Don’t get me wrong, the wallpapers are great. I just can’t see myself paying $50 a year or $12 a month for a wallpaper I won’t change for months. For example, I found this one I liked on the Spectral II collection but there’s just no way I can see myself paying $8 for it. If it was $1 then whatever, I’ll get it. As for the free wallpapers, they’re not bad, just not my style. Overall, I feel like PanelsWallpapers has great potential and I could be a user in the future. I just don’t believe the value outweighs the cost. P.S. I’m a huge fan MKBHD and I genuinely mean this comment with the best intentions. If the price goes down then I’ll definitely be a customer. Best of luck!

First it isn’t two ads, it’s four. 60 second’s for a wallpaper is a little absurd. The art is great, but showing ads while I scroll like Pinterest and then making me watch four ads for a SD version of the wallpaper is overkill. I’d watch at max one per wallpaper, I understand this took time to make. However we are already limited with the ones we can choose without premium. Besides the ads PanelsWallpapers is great. Runs well, good animations, app icons, and great art. But I don’t think people will receive this well if they’re bombarded with four ads every time they want a wallpaper.

First off - the photos on here are quite nice. If you're into different types of art you'll most likely find something you like.

What hinders PanelsWallpapers is the pricing and ad structure.

Is PanelsWallpapers free? Technically yes, and like most free apps the way to make money is to insert as many ads as possible. While I don't like it, that's the way of the world.

Here's my biggest issue with Panels: after watching ads (or scrolling past them), you can download a wallpaper you like, but they're in 1080p. If you want the actual high resolution wallpaper, that's locked behind a subscription fee of $50, and that's *after* the promo price. There's a monthly option of $11 to get a few and cancel.

As an app just for wallpapers, the cost-to-benefit ratio is too low. Ads are intrusive and what you get for free isn't worth your time. If you *have* to have a specific wallpaper on Panels, go for it. Otherwise, there are plenty of other resources available to customize your phone.

Expected more coming from MKBHD. No search functionality. No way to upload your own wallpapers. Disgustingly over-monetized in every way possible. Seems like it was thrown together in a day as a quick cash grab. I usually don’t like wallpaper apps; I get my wallpapers from searching the web or posts from people I follow on social media. Wallpaper apps usually just seem like cash grabs, but in terms of usability and monetization PanelsWallpapers is the worst of the worst. I was pleasantly surprised and genuinely excited when PanelsWallpapers was announced in the iPhone 16 video on YT video. I have maybe written a dozen app reviews since the launch of the iOS App Store in 2008 but was so disappointed in PanelsWallpapers I just had to voice my disappointment.

I love the effort put into PanelsWallpapers. The ability to get wallpapers from artists/photographers is great. PanelsWallpapers is easy to navigate and use. However, subscription price is incredibly high. Especially in times where I’m already having to decide what app subscriptions to keep and stop paying for. The wallpapers look very high quality and an SD file is available if you watch two ads. The price is too high in comparison to something like Unsplash+ where I might pay a little more but would get a lot more image options for mix use.

I think the selection of wallpapers is fantastic. I think a lot of normal people would be happy to get them for free in standard definition. But I’m someone that is always looking for a beautiful wallpaper that isn’t blurry or pixelated. If I were to use PanelsWallpapers to my preference, it would cost me $11ish a month. For me, that’s not in my price range for an aesthetic change for a device I probably should spend less time on.
Again, the strength PanelsWallpapers has is the variety and quality of wallpapers. I just wish some HD ones weren’t paywalled.
Love MKBHD, but I’ll be skipping this for the time being.

There are ads in a wallpaper app. I find it very annoying, especially when I’m trying to just look for wallpapers, to have an ad. It’s insane to think that we’ve gotten so far as to have ads in a wallpaper app. Regardless, PanelsWallpapers has no free wallpapers ( from what I found ) but they do look kind of nice, not something I would spend eight dollars on, but whatever, different strokes for different folks I guess. I will not be using PanelsWallpapers simply due to the idea that there are ads present in PanelsWallpapers , that the Developer expects us to pay a subscription for wallpapers, and that the cost for the wallpapers is so high. I would rather have a picture of my dog as my wallpaper then an eight dollar dune Picture.

PanelsWallpapers has everything I could ever want. Minimalist designs, the grandeur of mountains, and even that one melting skyscraper thing and, I also love MKBHD, I’ve been watching his videos since I could (like 2016) and I love the way he’s increased his brand since. But I gotta be honest.

I hate paying for stuff. Honestly, most people do and I’m not gonna go out there and say I wouldn’t love spending money to get premium wallpapers like this but sometimes it’s just not viable. I get the whole free thing, but if you’re gonna make people watch ads, then it’s not freeing of their time. I’m not gonna say you don’t need to pay graphic designers and people like that, but I think it would be if something like where you shared PanelsWallpapers with people then you could get like one free wallpaper or something. I would just like to see some sharing mechanism like other apps implemented.

I would also love to see things like widgets. That would be amazing!!

It’s just an idea and you guys don’t have to implement at all, but since MBHD reviews things, you’ve made me like to review stuff too, and I’m sure you guys like the input anyway.

I’ll be adding edits to this as time goes on, but anyway, keep it up guys, and thank you, you’ve made me aspire to become more than I ever dreamed. I’ll always be watching your videos! 😊

It’s expensive and the value proposition isn’t there. If you aren’t willing to pay $50 per year or $12 per month you have to watch ads to “unlock” standard definition versions of wallpapers for your phone (if you pay you get the full definition versions). My ads were horrible, I watched two 15 sec instagram ads and two 15 sec facebook ads. It felt cheap, like a poorly made mobile game. It rubbed me the wrong way and doesn’t feel cohesive with the MKBHD brand, which I’ve always associated with high quality content. I mean, I could see Mr. Beast doing something like this but not MKBHD. And to be honest, I’m not sure how this product slots in the portfolio along side the DBrand and Ridge Wallet deals. It’s completely out of place. I recommend reworking the way ads are delivered, reducing the price or offer a product that is actually worth the money, because it’s too expensive for what it is today, MKBHD said there’s more to come, we’ll just have to wait and see I guess.

Sorry but I need to be completely honest, I downloaded PanelsWallpapers after seeing all the negative feedback. I wanted to check it out for myself as I’ve followed MKB for 10 years. I’m not totally sure why we needed a Wallpaper App in 2024 but I wanted to give it a try anyways. At first it seemed legit but then I clicked on a very basic wallpaper and it wanted me to pay money or subscribe for a monthly fee. I’m sorry Marques but nobody should be paying for basic wallpapers I 2024, PanelsWallpapers might have done great in 2010 but not today. Not only that but that app seems to want to deliver ads and it’s also asking to track things like location, search history, contact details, purchases and other identifiers. I truly believe this is the worst app I’ve downloaded for all of 2023 and 2024. Please don’t pay money for PanelsWallpapers in 2024, there’s plenty of free apps and even Twitter accounts that offer free, high-res wallpapers that are very nice as well. I apologize but with my experience so far with PanelsWallpapers, it fully deserves 1 star.

I hate premium subs. No one wants them anymore cause they are getting ridiculous. But besides that I’m sure and I hope the artists get paid for their art. Now subs aside there are some nice wallpapers for free I had to watch 2 ads to unlock one to get it in SD much which might seem lame but the wallpaper looks really nice so I’m happy that’s an option not just premium. Not sure what happens to the wallpapers if one cancels the sub so that’s my main worry I don’t keep subs they’re not worth it. As much as I’m all for supporting artists I just can’t right now. We are all one emergency away to wipe out savings and that’s where I’m at unfortunately. No one has money for these subs not us peasants lol but if watching ads once in a while is enough I can do that for now

I downloaded PanelsWallpapers not thinking it would have a wallpaper in a style I personally like but I was wrong, I found one I love and I’m using now right away! I love that it shows you different artists and their work. The free version is a quick ad and then you get your free wallpaper, which is fair if you prefer to avoid paying a subscription. PanelsWallpapers is also smooth and easy to navigate AND I don’t have to create an account to access PanelsWallpapers . There’s also no paywall like with many other apps to make you think you have to pay upfront. You simply choose to skip and get browsing. Nice job!

Since it's endorsed by MKBHD, I have high standards going in.

The actual collection of wallpapers is baller. Abstract, nature, 3D, photography, etc. I think the catalogue has cohesion, nothing made me go "the heck is that doing here", there's just enough different styles for everyone. But before you download it, just keep the following in mind:

Every wallpaper can be downloaded for free - in SD. If you want the HD version of any of them, you have to pay. Maybe give users a way to earn 1 free wallpaper a month or something.

Also, the SD wallpapers are all locked behind a 30 sec ad in order to sustain the model.

So basically, theres no quick downloading your 5 favorite wallpapers and seeing which you like more as your actual wallpaper with your actual icons and layout, because you'll have to wait a minute of ads for 2 wallpapers. Is it kind of a lot? Yes, it's a free model and I get why, but It's pretty bad and cumbersome for the user experience. I can go to pexel for example, and download as many full resolution wallpapers as my device can hold with no slowdown.

Don’t get me wrong, lots of the wallpapers on this are awesome, and I’d love to use them. But the fact that I have to watch 2 ads for a 1080p download is a little odd, the premium tier being $12/month or $50/year is wild. Bring that down to $3 or maybe even $5/month and that would be reasonable, but even sharing 50/50 with artists doesn’t make the current price reasonable.

Also, why does PanelsWallpapers track my location? And why is that tied to me? It wants to track your data a little much for a wallpaper app.

Just use PanelsWallpapers MKBHD recommended in the past; Backdrops. It also has fantastic wallpapers, most are free and premium is a one-time fee.

This is such a pointless app, there is a tiny selection of basic backgrounds and then some premium backgrounds that you have to pay $50 to get. I kept clicking close but it kept thinking I wanted to pay for it, almost like tricking me into buying PanelsWallpapers . Horrible interface, difficult to scroll through different artists. Can’t search or filter. Downloaded tried it and deleted it super quick. I can just screenshot the images and not have to pay or download them online.

Honestly I was hoping for more diversity in the artist not all White European. Wish MKBH would be more mindful of diversity. Expected way more from his. This is the worsts app and feel sad that it’s getting attention. Such a missed opportunity to make something great.