Block appender not appearing in WP6.1.1 in certain scenarios

[kmrmohit]

Description

Default block appender used to appear at the end of the content in WP5.5.1 but in the newer version it doesn't show up.

Step-by-step reproduction instructions

1. add a block
2. again add a non-paragraph block below

Workaround

The appender at the end doesn't show when a block is already in focus but when clicked outside or when multiple blocks are selected, it reappears.

Screenshots, screen recording, code snippet

WP5.5.1-recording.mov

WP6.1.1-recorded.mp4

Environment info

– WordPress 6.1.1, no Gutenberg plugin
– Safari/Chrome

Please confirm that you have searched existing issues in the repo.

Yes

Please confirm that you have tested with all plugins deactivated except Gutenberg.

Yes

[skorasaurus]

maybe heavily related to #45497 ; need to investigate whether the external block button appender is applied to blocks besides Paragraph block in 6.1.1+

[kmrmohit]

The block-button appender existed in 5.5.1 in the above scenario, so was it removed intentionally in 6.0? This is a super-useful feature used by many of our authors. @t-hamano shouldn't it be a bug if this isn't the intended behavior?

[t-hamano]

As far as I can tell, I think this is the intended behavior. Perhaps #36656 is related.

When no block is selected, the appender of the root level is shown.

In other words, when a block is selected, the appender at the root level is not displayed.

[kmrmohit]

Putting up a closing note to this issue, our customers were not happy with this new enhancement as they were very much used to the previous feature where they can add a block when they are already working inside a block. But we will convince them to give it a try.