Classic Widgets is an official plugin maintained by the WordPress team that restores the previous (“classic”) WordPress widgets settings screens. It will be supported and maintained until at least 2022, or as long as is necessary.
Once activated, this plugin restores the previous widgets settings screens and disables the block editor from managing widgets. There is no other configuration, the classic widgets settings screens are enabled or disabled by either enabling or disabling this plugin.
FAQ
No, there are no settings. Once activated, this plugin restores the previous (“classic”) WordPress widgets screen and disables the block editor from managing widgets.
Another needed plugin while those who have massive sites built with themes that over the years, didn't keep up with new vision, branch of WordPress development.
Saved my bacon this morning when I naively went to to update an older website and sadly - realized the SNAFU AFTER I had already hit the 'Update/save" in new widgets screen -
That said, for anyone who might have missed this info in other comments, support, etc. forums - Have a BACKUP of your site to fall back on IF you need to - because I took that backup - INSTALLED Classic Widgets, then went and made my changes and all was right again -
Trying to go through installation/activation and 'fixing' widgets area AFTER I had ONCE saved in the new block widgets area, one small widget? Would have had to go through, recreate many/reset show/hide settings etc... end of my review with attached PSA I hope others find helpful if they, like me, forget - - 'oh, yeah - the new widget block thingee - - " - - LOL
Classic widgets should never have been removed from wordpress, Gutenberg Blocks are very polluted and boring to work with, not a good upgrade, I never work with Gutenberg Blocks, I always use the classic widgets plugin, I still hope the developers will review and evaluate this change in wordpress that was an error.
I don't understand why the developer team has changed the way to organize the widgets. Sometimes it is better to keep a good system instead of changing it in a way that bothers the users.