If you manage a lot of images, videos, or documents in WordPress, the Media Library is about to scroll differently. WordPress 7.1 turns on infinite scrolling by default, so new attachments load automatically as you scroll instead of waiting for you to click a “Load more” button.
What changed
The grid view of the Media Library, and the media modal you see when adding an image to a post, have supported infinite scrolling as a hidden option since WordPress 5.8. It was switched off by default over accessibility, performance, and usability concerns, so most sites never saw it unless a plugin or theme turned it on. WordPress 7.1 flips that default: infinite scrolling is now on for everyone, and the “Load more” button is gone unless you turn scrolling back off.
How to turn it off if you don’t want it
WordPress added a personal setting for this, so it’s your choice, not a site-wide one. Go to Users → Profile and look for “Infinite Scrolling” with a checkbox labeled “Disable infinite scrolling in the Media Library grid view.” This option only appears for users who can upload files, since you need that permission to see the media grid at all. Each user on your site sets this individually, so your preference won’t change what your editors or authors see.
What you need to do
Nothing, unless you specifically preferred clicking “Load more.” This is part of the broader WordPress 7.1 release, due August 19, and rolls out automatically to sites with auto-updates enabled. If the new scrolling behavior slows down your browser on a very large media library, use the profile setting above to switch back.
End of article