Desktop WordPress.com app – problems

  • Unknown's avatar
    tonyhuby · Member ·

    I just updated my copy of the Desktop version to 6.14.0 today, and when I attempted to open the app, I got the message below:
    “Proceed in External Browser
    You have one or more plugins that prevent editing content within WordPress Desktop.
    Continue in an external browser?”

    As far as I know, my plan has only the obligatory JetPack plugin. What is happening here? This only started after the latest update.
    Thankyou

    The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

  • supernovia · Staff ·

    Hey there, had it been a while since you used the app?

    I’ve tried something on our end to see if it’ll help. If it doesn’t, though, would you confirm which site is giving you trouble? Also if you wouldn’t mind uninstalling and reinstalling, just as a troubleshooting step, that may sort the issue out. Let us know.

  • Unknown's avatar
    tonyhuby · Member ·

    I use the app regularly ie three times a week. Site is tonyhuby.com and I have already uninstalled and reinstalled the app. It was the latest update that seems to have caused the issue. Thanks.

  • staff-blorbo · Staff ·

    Just to be sure, is this the Windows, macOS, or Linux app?

  • Unknown's avatar
    tonyhuby · Member ·

    Hi. It’s the Windows app on a 64bit Windows 10 machine.

    Thanks

  • kokkieh · Staff ·

    Hi there,

    Can you please test something for me?

    Go to https://wordpress.com/me/account, and disable the option, Show wp-admin pages if available. Save, then try the app again. Do you still get the error?

  • kokkieh · Staff ·

    And do you get the error immediately when you open the app, or when you click on a specific menu item?

  • Unknown's avatar
    tonyhuby · Member ·

    Disabling that option seems to work.

    I usually get the error when I open the app. There are two options: Confirm, which opens the default browser (not Edge) or Cancel which seems to disable all the menu options.

  • Unknown's avatar
    justjennifer · Member ·

    BTW it’s also possible to disable that interface setting directly from within the app by going to one’s Account settings there.

    Click on your gravatar in the upper right corner of the app’s admin bar and then Account Settings>Interface Settings>Dashboard Appearance. Toggle off the show advanced dashboard pages and then click the Save interface settings button.

  • Unknown's avatar
    tonyhuby · Member ·

    Unfortunately, once the error message appears, there are only two options: Confirm, which opens the default browser (not Edge) or Cancel which seems to disable all the menu options.

  • fstat · Staff ·

    Please re-install the app and then try @justjennifer’s suggestion.

  • Unknown's avatar
    tonyhuby · Member ·

    I have now followed the instructions and have disabled the WP-admin which seems to work. I think that this needs looking at as some people need/prefer to have the WP-admin feature turned on.

  • staff-ozmodiar · Staff ·

    Glad to hear you were able to get it sorted.

    Thanks for the feedback.

  • Unknown's avatar
    tonyhuby · Member ·

    Well it’s a work around I suppose.

  • Unknown's avatar
    justjennifer · Member ·

    And one which necessitates toggling that Interface Setting switch too often. :/

  • kokkieh · Staff ·

    I think that this needs looking at as some people need/prefer to have the WP-admin feature turned on.

    It’s by design that the WP-Admin pages cannot be accessed from within the app:

    While the WordPress software is written in PHP, the WordPress.com interface at My Sites is written entirely in JavaScript, and the desktop app is essentially just the code of that JavaScript interface in an Electron wrapper to turn it into an app. So the app can only access and display pages from the My Sites interface, and any link going to WP-Admin will always open in a browser.

    That said, I tested this myself on Windows 10, and didn’t get any notice like you’re describing – my default browser just automatically launches and goes to the WP-Admin page.

    I wonder if this might be a permission set somewhere in Windows, and that perhaps I’m not seeing that message because I’d set that permission already on a previous occasion. In that case, just clicking confirm on that notice will probably set the permission for you as well, after which I wouldn’t expect you to see that notice again.

  • Unknown's avatar
    justjennifer · Member ·

    That said, I tested this myself on Windows 10, and didn’t get any notice like you’re describing – my default browser just automatically launches and goes to the WP-Admin page.

    If that’s the case, if it weren’t for the Block Patterns loading quickly and completely for me in the app’s Editor, I’m not sure what the benefit would be compared to simply being logged in online in a browser. Sorry.

  • Unknown's avatar
    tonyhuby · Member ·

    Things seem to have changed a little. I now have the wp-admin enabled, but the notice I was receiving no longer appears, and I’m wondering if I had some kind of glitch that righted itself when I did a full restart of my machine. Now when I open the desktop app It opens at the Site Settings page within the app, which it wasn’t doing yesterday.

  • Unknown's avatar
    tonyhuby · Member ·

    Right, I understand now. So basically if I need to get to the wp-admin pages, I have to go via the web browser, and not via the app.

  • Unknown's avatar
    tonyhuby · Member ·

    I think that resolves the issue. Thanks for your help and advice.

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