Regression: Default Composition Mode appears to be ignored between v2026.7.0-latest +63 and +314

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Regression: default_composition_mode appears to be ignored between v2026.7.0-latest +63 and +314

Summary

I believe I have identified a regression in the default composer behaviour between two specific Discourse revisions.

Between:

  • v2026.7.0-latest +63

    • Commit: dcfc79fde288be9cbbf79c881ed4dd4e68cf849e

and

  • v2026.7.0-latest +314

    • Commit: cf0d9228b458eb106482b23a6b22f0556e118722

the composer began opening in Rich Text by default.

Site configuration

The site setting has remained:

Admin → All site settings → User preferences → Default composition mode

Markdown

I did not change this setting between the two versions.

Expected behaviour

With Default composition mode set to Markdown, the composer should open in Markdown mode unless the user has explicitly chosen Rich Text.

Actual behaviour

Somewhere between the two commits above, the composer began opening in Rich Text by default despite the site setting remaining Markdown.

Regression window

Works as expected:

  • v2026.7.0-latest +63

  • Commit dcfc79fde288be9cbbf79c881ed4dd4e68cf849e

Behaviour changes by:

  • v2026.7.0-latest +314

  • Commit cf0d9228b458eb106482b23a6b22f0556e118722

This narrows the behavioural change to approximately 251 commits.

Plugins

The following official Discourse plugins are enabled:

  • docker_manager

  • discourse-whos-online

  • discourse-categories-suppressed

  • discourse-bbcode

The following plugins are present in my configuration but commented out and therefore not enabled:

  • discourse-cakeday

  • discourse-locations

  • discourse-events

The Custom Wizard plugin mentioned in the related Meta topic is not installed.

Related topics

Before opening this topic, I found these related discussions:

  • Composer ignores default_composition_mode

  • Unable to set default to markdown mode

However, this appears to be different because:

  • the site setting remained Markdown throughout;

  • I did not change the setting;

  • the behaviour changed between two specific core Discourse revisions;

  • the Custom Wizard plugin is not installed.

If this behaviour is expected because of a change to how user preferences are now applied, I’d appreciate clarification. Otherwise, this appears to be a regression introduced somewhere within the commit range above.

2

Additional observations

After opening this topic, I carried out an additional test.

I impersonated another user (a moderator rather than an administrator). Their composer opened in Markdown, which matches the site’s configured default.

After returning to my own account, closing the iOS Safari PWA, and reopening it, my own composer again opened in Rich Text.

This suggests the site-wide default_composition_mode setting is still being honoured for at least some users, but my own account’s remembered composer mode is reverting to Rich Text after reopening the PWA.

3

What happens if you use the toggle button to switch the composer to Markdown mode? Does it open in Markdown mode after that? I wonder if, while the site’s default is Markdown, you changed your personal preference stored in your browser to rich text and that’s why you get that editor.

4

The last time this happened, I had explicitly switched the composer to Markdown during the previous PWA session.

After closing the iOS Safari PWA and reopening it in the next session, the composer opened in Rich Text again.

However, since then it has continued opening in Markdown, so I have not yet been able to reproduce the switch back to Rich Text a second time.