Cannot exit “Edit Media” page properly

There absolutely should be an X button to close that.

This may be a plugin or theme conflict. Please attempt to disable all plugins, and switch to the default Twenty Nineteen theme. If the problem goes away, enable them one by one to identify the source of the problem.

If you can install plugins, install Health Check. On the troubleshooting tab, you can click the button to disable all plugins and change the theme for you, while you’re still logged in, without affecting normal visitors to your site.

Oh, I did test it, deactivate plugins and using the WordPress default theme and the problem remains.

I am working on 2 separate websites, both have 2 different themes, both show the same issue. I also went into my 2 of business websites and the same issue there too.

So over 4 different websites, 4 different themes, the same problem, the Edit Media page does not provide any button or link to return to the image library at the same image that was clicked to edit.

I believe the problem is the “Edit Media” is a separate page, and each time it is updated, it creates another back-link as if the browser went to a different page (navigation history).

If the “Edit Media” was a pop-up just like the “Add Media” method from the WordPress editor, then that provides the means to close the window and end back to where we started at the location we were last at.

Here’s what I see on the edit media page, I’ve added the green rectangle: https://cld.wthms.co/1iJIWF

If you still don’t see that X button with all plugins deactivated and the Twenty Twenty theme active, please make sure that your browser is up to date: https://browsehappy.com/

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2. Try with all browser extensions or add-ons temporarily disabled.

Please let us know how each step goes for you, and which browser (and version of) you’re using if you’re still having trouble.

Your image > https://cld.wthms.co/1iJIWF

This is not the edit media page I am speaking about, that screenshot you gave appears when editing an image from the WordPress text editor. That is a popup.

What I speak about is going directly to the Media Library (Admin > Media), then either putting the media files in “list view” or in “card view”, then clicking the edit link to edit the file and meta data.

When clicking “edit” the media file, you get this page,

https://prnt.sc/q2hukc

There is No “X” and no button to return, hence the issue as described above.

The screenshot I shared is of me editing a file in the Media Library. You’ll see on the Dashboard sidebar to the left in my screenshot, I’m in the Media Library.

The only difference is I edited from grid view.

You are correct that the editing modal in the List view does not have a close button. This was an intentional choice by the designers. The list view operates more like editing posts/pages (you click edit, save, and go back). The grid view operates more like a gallery, an edit window pops up, and that window can be closed.

So, overall, nothing is broken or missing here. If you want that close button, edit in grid view.

@macmanx

Yes, when in grid view, the default is the popup form, in list view the default is in page view.

I have wondered why it is designed like this when the popup form is far more efficent, practical and makes more sense than the page view, where the design should have placed all editable details in the pop-up view – right column, that can scroll.