How to Easily Disable the Fullscreen Editor in WordPress

The Fullscreen editor in WordPress became the default one for users starting WordPress 5.4. The editor will appear in Fullscreen mode every time you open a page or a post in the admin area, without the familiar admin toolbar or WordPress menu. Although this is perfect for writing without distractions, certain WordPress users will also need access to the toolbar and menu.

Hiding vital features in this manner will make WordPress more challenging to use. Thankfully, switching between fullscreen mode and the compact view that existed before WordPress 5.4 is fast and straightforward. If you need to access a menu item quickly or don’t like the full-screen view, follow these easy steps.

How to Temporarily Disable the Fullscreen WordPress Editor?

With the click of a button, you can temporarily disable WordPress full-screen mode. This is a temporary solution, but it will last the duration of your browsing session.

If you enable incognito mode in your browser, WordPress will revert to the full-screen editor. If you move to a different web browser, device, or WordPress account, you’ll lose this configuration.

Step 1: Navigate to the Page Editor

Navigate to Pages > All Pages to deactivate the full-screen editor on every tab. You can also disable full-screen mode for a particular post by heading to Posts > All Posts.

After that, you can either create a new page or article or edit an existing one. The WordPress editor will open in full-screen mode by default.

Step 2: Select Your Preference

Click on the three-dot icon in the top-right-hand corner in WordPress. Deselect Full-screen Mode, to temporarily disable the fullscreen editor.

The WordPress editor will switch to compact mode immediately after exiting the fullscreen mode. The WordPress menu and admin toolbar should now appear:

WordPress can save this preference in the temporary storage of the browser in use. The fullscreen mode will be disabled If you continue to use the same machine, web browser, or WordPress account.

How to Permanently Disable the Fullscreen WordPress Editor?

If you migrate between several machines, browsers, or WordPress accounts frequently, you can find yourself disabling the full-screen editor regularly. It might be easier to permanently disable full-screen mode if you regularly use the WordPress compact editor.

This approach does necessitate modifying the code of your website. It’s a good idea to make a complete WordPress backup before you start so you’ll have something to recover if something goes wrong.

Step 1: Add Code to Your Functions.php File

Go to Appearance > Theme Editor, and this will open the text editor from which you can edit the files in the WordPress theme:

Locate and pick the functions.php file on the right-hand side of the screen. Then, at the bottom of that file, copy/paste the following code:

if (is_admin()) {

    function fsm_disable_fullscreen_permanently() {

    $script = "jQuery( window ).load(function() { const isFullscreenMode = wp.data.select( 'core/edit-post' ).isFeatureActive( 'fullscreenMode' ); if ( isFullscreenMode ) { wp.data.dispatch( 'core/edit-post' ).toggleFeature( 'fullscreenMode' ); } });";

    wp_add_inline_script( 'wp-blocks', $script );

}

add_action( 'enqueue_block_editor_assets', 'fsm_disable_fullscreen_permanently' );

}

Step 2: Save the Functions.php File

Click Update File to save your changes. Your changes will take effect right away.

If you edit a WordPress theme file, you could get the message “Your PHP code changes were rolled back.”. If this happens, double-check the line listed in the message to make sure it’s right, as this is usually the root of the problem.

Step 3: Check to See If the Fullscreen Editor Is Disabled

Open any page or post after you’ve saved your changes. It should immediately open in the WordPress compact view. You can now concentrate on your writing without being disturbed.

Step 4: Temporarily Restore Full-screen Mode

It’s also worth remembering that you can return to the full-screen editor at any time. Click the three-dot icon in the top-right-hand corner in WordPress, then choose Full-screen Mode.

If you keep fullscreen mode enabled, the full-screen editor will be disabled the next time you edit a page or article. You’ll need to delete the PHP code you added in Step 1 above to re-enable fullscreen mode permanently.

Conclusion

I hope this free WordPress tutorial helped you learn the steps to disable the fullscreen mode in the WordPress post/page editor. So for more WordPress, free step-by-step tutorials visit our dedicated WordPress Tutorials section (You can find more tutorials like How To Fix The WordPress White Screen Of Death) and check our WordPress hosting providers guide if you are still looking for a host to start your blog.