youknowriad · Sep 9, 2026 · Sep 9, 2026 · Sep 9, 2026
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@
 -   Borders: rename the "Border & Shadow" panel to "Borders", whichever of its controls are available, and always show the Border and Shadow controls' visible labels. A stable panel title is what lets the Border label render unconditionally, so its "Unlink sides" toggle lines up with the border radius one ([#82163](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/82163)).
 -   `ListView`: Updated to use `outset-ring__focus()` mixin for focus outline wherever applicable instead of the previous box-shadow implementation. ([#82129](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/82129))
 
+### Deprecations
+
+-   `__unstableSetEditorMode`: Deprecate the action. It only wrote the `editorTool` preference that backed the removed Write/Design tool, and nothing has read that preference since [#72193](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/72193). It now dispatches nothing and logs a deprecation notice ([#82677](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/82677)).
+
 ### Internal
 
 -   `BlockPreview`: Stop applying the private `Disabled` component class name to block previews ([#82651](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/82651)).

@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import { __, _n, sprintf } from '@wordpress/i18n';
 import { store as noticesStore } from '@wordpress/notices';
 import { create, insert, remove, toHTMLString } from '@wordpress/rich-text';
 import deprecated from '@wordpress/deprecated';
-import { store as preferencesStore } from '@wordpress/preferences';
 import {
 	retrieveSelectedAttribute,
 	findRichTextAttributeKey,
@@ -1821,21 +1820,24 @@ export const __unstableMarkAutomaticChange =
 	};
 
 /**
- * Action that sets the editor mode
+ * Action that used to set the editor mode (Write/Design tool).
  *
- * @param {string} mode Editor mode
+ * @deprecated
+ *
+ * @return {Object} Action object.
  */
-export const __unstableSetEditorMode =
-	( mode ) =>
-	( { registry } ) => {
-		registry.dispatch( preferencesStore ).set( 'core', 'editorTool', mode );
-
-		if ( mode === 'navigation' ) {
-			speak( __( 'You are currently in Write mode.' ) );
-		} else if ( mode === 'edit' ) {
-			speak( __( 'You are currently in Design mode.' ) );
+export function __unstableSetEditorMode() {
+	deprecated(
+		'wp.data.dispatch( "core/block-editor" ).__unstableSetEditorMode',
+		{
+			since: '7.2',
+			hint: 'The Write/Design editor tool has been removed.',
 		}
+	);
+	return {
+		type: 'DO_NOTHING',
 	};
+}
 
 /**
  * Set the block moving client ID.

diff --git a/packages/customize-widgets/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/customize-widgets/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 ### Internal
 
+-   Stop passing the unused `editorTool` block editor setting; the selector that read it was removed with the Write/Design tool in [#72193](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/72193) ([#82677](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/82677)).
 -   Remove unused dependency `@wordpress/interface` ([#82103](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/82103)).
 -   Use the `.jsx` extension for JavaScript source files that contain JSX ([#80990](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/80990)).
 

diff --git a/packages/customize-widgets/src/components/sidebar-block-editor/index.jsx b/packages/customize-widgets/src/components/sidebar-block-editor/index.jsx
@@ -77,7 +77,6 @@ export default function SidebarBlockEditor( {
 			mediaUpload: mediaUploadBlockEditor,
 			hasFixedToolbar: isFixedToolbarActive || ! isMediumViewport,
 			keepCaretInsideBlock,
-			editorTool: 'edit',
 			__unstableHasCustomAppender: true,
 		};
 	}, [

diff --git a/packages/e2e-test-utils-playwright/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/e2e-test-utils-playwright/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+### Breaking Changes
+
+-   `Editor.switchEditorTool()`: Remove the helper. It clicked the Write/Design "Tools" toolbar button, which the editor no longer renders since [#72193](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/72193) ([#82677](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/82677)).
+
 ### New Features
 
 -   `Admin.visitSiteEditor()`: When the `GUTENBERG_E2E_SITE_EDITOR_V2` environment variable is set, visit the extensible site editor (`admin.php?page=site-editor-v2`) instead of `site-editor.php`, translating the classic query args to the equivalent v2 route, and wait for the lazily loaded editor to finish initializing on edit routes. `RequestUtils.setGutenbergExperiments()` keeps the `gutenberg-extensible-site-editor` experiment enabled in that mode so specs that reset experiments do not turn the v2 editor off mid-run.

diff --git a/packages/e2e-test-utils-playwright/src/editor/index.ts b/packages/e2e-test-utils-playwright/src/editor/index.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import { saveSiteEditorEntities } from './site-editor';
 import { setIsFixedToolbar } from './set-is-fixed-toolbar';
 import { switchToLegacyCanvas } from './switch-to-legacy-canvas';
 import { transformBlockTo } from './transform-block-to';
-import { switchEditorTool } from './switch-editor-tool';
 
 type EditorConstructorProps = {
 	page: Page;
@@ -84,8 +83,6 @@ export class Editor {
 	/** @borrows setIsFixedToolbar as this.setIsFixedToolbar */
 	setIsFixedToolbar: typeof setIsFixedToolbar =
 		setIsFixedToolbar.bind( this );
-	/** @borrows switchEditorTool as this.switchEditorTool */
-	switchEditorTool: typeof switchEditorTool = switchEditorTool.bind( this );
 	/** @borrows switchToLegacyCanvas as this.switchToLegacyCanvas */
 	switchToLegacyCanvas: typeof switchToLegacyCanvas =
 		switchToLegacyCanvas.bind( this );

diff --git a/packages/e2e-test-utils-playwright/src/editor/switch-editor-tool.ts b/packages/e2e-test-utils-playwright/src/editor/switch-editor-tool.ts
diff --git a/packages/edit-post/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/edit-post/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 ### Internal
 
+-   Stop registering the `editorTool` preference default; the Write/Design tool that read it was removed in [#72193](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/72193) ([#82677](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/82677)).
 -   Remove the `showListViewByDefault` handling from `initializeEditor`; the `editor` package now applies the preference itself.
 -   Remove unused dependencies `@wordpress/a11y`, `@wordpress/dom`, `@wordpress/viewport`, etc. ([#82103](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/82103)).
 -   Use the `.jsx` extension for JavaScript source files that contain JSX ([#80990](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/80990)).

diff --git a/packages/edit-post/src/index.jsx b/packages/edit-post/src/index.jsx
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ export function initializeEditor(
 	dispatch( preferencesStore ).setDefaults( 'core', {
 		allowRightClickOverrides: true,
 		editorMode: 'visual',
-		editorTool: 'edit',
 		fixedToolbar: false,
 		hiddenBlockTypes: [],
 		inactivePanels: [],

diff --git a/packages/edit-site/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/edit-site/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 ### Internal
 
 -   `PostList`: Stop re-sorting the fetched page in memory when the view sorts by author. The author field now sorts by author id, the same order the REST API already returns for `orderby=author`, so the re-sort no longer changes anything ([#82559](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/82559)).
+-   Stop registering the `editorTool` preference default; the Write/Design tool that read it was removed in [#72193](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/72193) ([#82677](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/82677)).
 -   Remove the template activation (`active_templates`) experiment: the Templates page and its sidebar always use the previous (non-activation) implementations ([#82241](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/82241)).
 -   Remove the `showListViewByDefault` handling from `useAdaptEditorToCanvas`; the `editor` package now applies the preference on the preview ↔ edit transition itself.
 -   Remove unused dependencies `@wordpress/blob`, `@wordpress/date`, `@wordpress/escape-html`, etc. ([#82103](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/82103)).

diff --git a/packages/edit-site/src/index.jsx b/packages/edit-site/src/index.jsx
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ export function initializeEditor( id, settings ) {
 		allowRightClickOverrides: true,
 		distractionFree: false,
 		editorMode: 'visual',
-		editorTool: 'edit',
 		fixedToolbar: false,
 		focusMode: false,
 		inactivePanels: [],

diff --git a/packages/edit-widgets/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/edit-widgets/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 ### Internal
 
+-   Stop passing the unused `editorTool` block editor setting; the selector that read it was removed with the Write/Design tool in [#72193](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/72193) ([#82677](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/82677)).
 -   Remove unused dependency `@wordpress/reusable-blocks` ([#82103](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/82103)).
 -   Use the `.jsx` extension for JavaScript source files that contain JSX ([#80990](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/80990)).
 

diff --git a/packages/edit-widgets/src/components/widget-areas-block-editor-provider/index.jsx b/packages/edit-widgets/src/components/widget-areas-block-editor-provider/index.jsx
@@ -85,7 +85,6 @@ export default function WidgetAreasBlockEditorProvider( {
 			__experimentalSetIsInserterOpened: setIsInserterOpened,
 			pageOnFront,
 			pageForPosts,
-			editorTool: 'edit',
 		};
 	}, [
 		hasUploadPermissions,

diff --git a/packages/editor/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/editor/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 
 ### Internal
 
+-   Stop passing the unused `editorTool` block editor setting; the selector that read it was removed with the Write/Design tool in [#72193](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/72193) ([#82677](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/82677)).
 -   Remove the template activation (`active_templates`) experiment: the post-save activation notice, the "Edit template" auto-activation, and template duplication in the actions list ([#82241](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/82241)).
 -   Remove unused dependencies `@wordpress/reusable-blocks`, `client-zip` and `fast-deep-equal` ([#82103](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/82103)).
 -   Use the `.jsx` extension for JavaScript source files that contain JSX ([#80990](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/80990)).

diff --git a/packages/editor/src/components/provider/use-block-editor-settings.js b/packages/editor/src/components/provider/use-block-editor-settings.js
@@ -434,10 +434,6 @@ function useBlockEditorSettings( settings, postType, postId, renderingMode ) {
 					: settings.template,
 			__experimentalSetIsInserterOpened: setIsInserterOpened,
 			[ sectionRootClientIdKey ]: sectionRootClientId,
-			editorTool:
-				renderingMode === 'post-only' && postType !== 'wp_template'
-					? 'edit'
-					: undefined,
 			// When editing template parts, patterns, or navigation directly,
 			// we're in an isolated editing context (focused on that entity alone).
 			[ isIsolatedEditorKey ]: [