Issues with the WPML Dashboard widget

Overview of the issue

In some cases, the WordPress Dashboard loads extremely slowly (10+ seconds) when the WPML Dashboard Widget is enabled. It happens only when certain PHP versions are used on the server (we stumbled upon the issue while using PHP 5.5.24 and 5.6.8, but it might happen with other versions as well).

The issue occurs due to a PHP bug.

Workaround

If your WordPress Dashboard loads suspiciously slowly, log into your FTP. Find the wp-config.php file and above the line “/* That’s all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */” add the following code:

define( 'ICL_HIDE_DASHBOARD_WIDGET', true );

This will hide the WPML Dashboard Widget from the WordPress Dashboard and the loading issue should be gone.