Media Pro Gallery is our most downloaded widget of all time. It should probably be no surprise that our most popular widget is also the widget that we receive the most enhancement requests on.

Our Media Pro Gallery product page currently has 23 pages of reviews – most of which include requests for enhancements and updates. So far, we’ve logged nine updates to Media Pro Gallery, each update containing multiple enhancements in most cases.


As the main caretaker of our product reviews, I can assure you that every review is read. When an update is requested, we take note. After replying to reviewers, I track each request in software that is shared with our development teams here at MuseThemes. Together, we work to bring every widget update request to life that we possibly can.

In the case of Media Pro Gallery, each update means that more and more code is added to the widget script. As code is added, sections of the script have to be re-written in order to accept the new changes. Over time, this can push a widget toward becoming less stable. Since stability is highly important to us, rebuilding the widget from scratch was the clear choice. After compiling hundreds of user requests, plus three months of development time and four weeks of testing, we’re ready to bring you Media Pro Gallery version 2.0. But before we do, let’s take a look at some of the key features that make Media Pro Gallery 2.0 bigger and better than ever.

Rebuilt From the Ground Up

The best way to create stability in a widget is to build it from the ground up with all features specified before building. Getting a fresh start means that our script contains all feature requests from the get-go. We also get to leverage new javascript libraries that give us a strong foundation to build from, and new features included in the core functionality.

Our rebuild of Media Pro Gallery uses the latest code, along with styling and transitions that are optimized for modern web browsers. In addition to increased stability in modern web browsers, we’ve updated the widget to ensure the best possible experience on mobile and touch devices.

Compatible with All Aspect Ratios.

One of the most requested features has been the ability to include images of different aspect ratios in the gallery – especially mixing landscape and portrait layouts. Our updated version 2.0 offers several different gallery display modes. Two display modes allow for mixing aspect ratios, including the Mosaic Gallery:

Dynamic Galleries.

You can now link any gallery with a custom button that acts as a trigger. This means that you can use text boxes, state buttons, or icon images as call-to-action buttons that open galleries when clicked. Great for pages tight on real estate!

Standalone Thumbnails.

In addition to button triggers, standalone thumbnail images may be linked to galleries. This way you can place single images strategically on a page to represent galleries. This is great for blogs or photography sets where you choose your best image as an album cover.

Smarter Collection Filters 

One element that made Media Pro Gallery so special was the collections. Collections act as filters that allow users to click on a category within a larger collection; for example, imagine being able to select “Portraits” from a larger portfolio of photography work. A highly requested feature was the ability to stay in a collection once you click on an image and enter the slideshow within the lightbox. While version 1.0 fell short in this area, version 2.0 gives you this option. 

Loads of New Lightbox Features

Once a website visitor clicks a gallery image to open the lightbox there are a bunch of great new features within. These features can be enabled or disabled via the widget option panel. Here are a few:

• Thumbnail images with navigation control and toggle-hide
• Zoom control tools
• Full screen mode
• Social sharing with support for the top social channels
• Download button

Fully Optimized For Mobile

As more and more people are engaging with web content from their phones every day, it’s crucial to ensure that your site works great on mobiles and tablets. Media Pro Gallery 2.0 is fully responsive and has been optimized for touch devices. In addition to proper display on smaller screens, gallery and lightbox navigation is now a breeze.

One Of Two Flagship Gallery Widgets

As you may imagine, Media Pro Gallery 2.0 is an advanced widget. More features means more settings in the option panels. In fact, Media Pro Gallery 2.0 has the most options and settings we've ever built into a widget. Media loading, styling, and all controls are set up within Muse.

We would like to point out, if you're not familiar with our Connect line of widgets, that Gallery Connect is another option for a powerful gallery capable of much of what Media Pro Gallery 2.0 has to offer. However, handling settings and loading media is done outside of Muse with Gallery Connect. This means that it is ideal for those of you building sites for clients who want to manage their own gallery content. 

We believe that by offering these two powerful, yet very unique approaches, we are presenting our members with the best of both worlds in mixed-media galleries.

A Big Thanks

We would like to thank our amazing member base for all of the feedback that you’ve given regarding Media Pro Gallery, along with the many great enhancement requests. We believe Media Pro Gallery 2.0 will be a big hit among users thanks to your communication. And thank you for your patience! We’ve been promising version 2.0 for a long time – and we hope this article has gotten you excited for what you’ll have your hands on in just a few days.


Cheers,
Brandon