Restore Columns
In WordPress 3.8, the setting that controlled the number of displayed columns was removed from the «Screen Options» section of the Dashboard. From now on, WordPress decides how many columns it should display depending…
Consider an alternative
Restore Columns shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 60+ sites, is rated 4.8/5 and was last updated 7 years ago, and scores 31/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (60+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 6 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 5.4 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Restore Columns stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| admin | >100 |
| dashboard | >100 |
| dashboard columns | >100 |
| screen layout | >100 |
| screen options | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 4.8 from 4 reviews
About Restore Columns
From the official readme · v1.00Description
In WordPress 3.8, the setting that controlled the number of displayed columns was removed from the «Screen Options» section of the Dashboard. From now on, WordPress decides how many columns it should display depending on the size of the browser window. This is convenient for mobile use, but not for a web browser maximized to the entire size of a 22-27 inch monitor, since WordPress always shows 4 columns in this case – even if only 2 widgets are shown.
This plugin restores the possibility to control the «Number of Columns» parameter in the «Screen Options» section of the Dashboard.
PS Please note that WordPress doesn’t allow you to select more than 2 columns if your browser window is not maximized.
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FAQ
Restore Columns: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 11, 2026
Is Restore Columns free?
Yes. Restore Columns is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Restore Columns safe to use in 2026?
Restore Columns shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 60+ sites, is rated 4.8/5 and was last updated 7 years ago, and scores 31/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Restore Columns?
Restore Columns is active on 60+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 3,418 times since it launched in July 2014. It was downloaded 63 times in the last 30 days.
Does Restore Columns work with WordPress 7.1?
Restore Columns is officially tested up to WordPress 5.4.24, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does Restore Columns need?
Restore Columns requires PHP 5.3 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was Restore Columns last updated?
The latest version, 1.00, was released on April 2, 2020 (7 years ago).
Who makes Restore Columns?
Restore Columns is developed and maintained by Flector.
What are the best alternatives to Restore Columns?
The most popular alternatives to Restore Columns are Loginizer (1M+ installs), Redux Framework (900K+ installs) and Admin Menu Editor (300K+ installs).
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