How to keep using the Widget Options plugin with the new widgets update

Here’s a quick and easy walk-through on how to keep using Widget Options in WordPress 5.8. This new version, released this July 2021,  require a few steps to keep using Widget Options while we work on a more permanent integration to Gutenberg.

Here is an easy way to keep using Widget Options:

1. Make sure to update Widget Options plugin to it’s latest version 3.7.9 or Widget Options Extended to it’s latest version 4.6.7.
2. Navigate to Widget Options settings (Dashboard > Settings > Widget Options) and enable Classic Widgets Screen.
   

Here is a quick walkthrough on how it works:

And… you’re back to the widgets screen that we all are most familiar with!

If for some reason you can’t update the Widget Options plugin (or your subscription is not currently active), you can use the Classic Widgets plugin. This way, you can keep using Widget Options and still have full control over your widgets’ page and device visibility, styling, alignment, and more.

This is what the widget settings screen looks like with the new WP version:

Later, we will show you how to add and edit blocks (widgets) from this screen.

On the other hand, this is the classic widget screen, which we are all familiar with:

Classic Widgets will simply disable blocks in the widget areas and will restore the classic widgets settings screen.

Here are the 2 easy steps to keep using Widget Options again with old version of Widget Options plugin :

Step 1: Install and activate Classic Widgets. Go to Dashboard >> Plugins >> Add New and search for “Classic Widgets by WordPress Contributors”.
Alternatively, you may download Classic Widgets from here.

Step 2: Once activated, Classic Widgets will let you continue using Widget Options from the old widgets settings screen. Just go to Dashboard >> Appearance >> Widgets and see your active widgets’ settings.

Turn Classic Widgets On and Off

With the Classic Widgets, you can also add and remove widgets the old way. Nonetheless, if you want to use blocks, just simply deactivate the Classic Widgets plugin, so you can access the new widgets screen again. Deactivating the Classic Widgets plugin will not affect the settings you have with the Widget Options.

Read our simple guide on how to use the new Gutenberg block-based widgets screen in WordPress and how to switch back to Classic Widgets.