diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/editable_text.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/editable_text.dart
index 9f857021fdf..b8effd5a2fa 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/editable_text.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/editable_text.dart
@@ -1255,11 +1255,14 @@ class EditableText extends StatefulWidget {
   final Color? selectionColor;
 
   /// {@template flutter.widgets.editableText.selectionControls}
-  /// Optional delegate for building the text selection handles and toolbar.
+  /// Optional delegate for building the text selection handles.
   ///
-  /// The [EditableText] widget used on its own will not trigger the display
-  /// of the selection toolbar by itself. The toolbar is shown by calling
-  /// [EditableTextState.showToolbar] in response to an appropriate user event.
+  /// Historically, this field also controlled the toolbar. This is now handled
+  /// by [contextMenuBuilder] instead. However, for backwards compatibility, when
+  /// [selectionControls] is set to an object that does not mix in
+  /// [TextSelectionHandleControls], [contextMenuBuilder] is ignored and the
+  /// [TextSelectionControls.buildToolbar] method is used instead.
+  /// {@endtemplate}
   ///
   /// See also:
   ///
@@ -1269,7 +1272,6 @@ class EditableText extends StatefulWidget {
   ///  * [TextField], a Material Design themed wrapper of [EditableText], which
   ///    shows the selection toolbar upon appropriate user events based on the
   ///    user's platform set in [ThemeData.platform].
-  /// {@endtemplate}
   final TextSelectionControls? selectionControls;
 
   /// {@template flutter.widgets.editableText.keyboardType}
@@ -1778,6 +1780,11 @@ class EditableText extends StatefulWidget {
   /// `buttonItems` represents the buttons that would be built by default for
   /// this widget.
   ///
+  /// For backwards compatibility, when [selectionControls] is set to an object
+  /// that does not mix in [TextSelectionHandleControls], [contextMenuBuilder]
+  /// is ignored and the [TextSelectionControls.buildToolbar] method is used
+  /// instead.
+  ///
   /// {@tool dartpad}
   /// This example shows how to customize the menu, in this case by keeping the
   /// default buttons for the platform but modifying their appearance.
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/text_selection.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/text_selection.dart
index 8d459217275..177c32f7c63 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/text_selection.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/text_selection.dart
@@ -61,23 +61,28 @@ class ToolbarItemsParentData extends ContainerBoxParentData<RenderBox> {
 /// An interface for building the selection UI, to be provided by the
 /// implementer of the toolbar widget.
 ///
-/// Override text operations such as [handleCut] if needed.
+/// Parts of this class, including [buildToolbar], have been deprecated in favor
+/// of [EditableText.contextMenuBuilder], which is now the preferred way to
+/// customize the context menus.
 ///
 /// ## Use with [EditableText.contextMenuBuilder]
-/// [buildToolbar] has been deprecated in favor of
-/// [EditableText.contextMenuBuilder], and that is the preferred way to
-/// customize the context menus now. However, both ways will continue to work
-/// during the deprecation period.
 ///
-/// To use both [EditableText.contextMenuBuilder] and [buildHandle], a two-step
-/// migration is necessary. First, migrate to [TextSelectionHandleControls],
-/// using its [TextSelectionHandleControls.buildHandle] method and moving
-/// toolbar code to [EditableText.contextMenuBuilder]. Later, the deprecation
-/// period will expire, [buildToolbar] will be removed, and
-/// [TextSelectionHandleControls] will be deprecated. Migrate back to
-/// [TextSelectionControls.buildHandle], so that the final state is to use
-/// [EditableText.contextMenuBuilder] for the toolbar and
-/// [TextSelectionControls] for the handles.
+/// For backwards compatibility during the deprecation period, when
+/// [EditableText.selectionControls] is set to an object that does not mix in
+/// [TextSelectionHandleControls], [EditableText.contextMenuBuilder] is ignored
+/// in favor of the deprecated [buildToolbar].
+///
+/// To migrate code from [buildToolbar] to the preferred
+/// [EditableText.contextMenuBuilder], while still using [buildHandle], mix in
+/// [TextSelectionHandleControls] into the [TextSelectionControls] subclass when
+/// moving any toolbar code to a callback passed to
+/// [EditableText.contextMenuBuilder].
+///
+/// In due course, [buildToolbar] will be removed, and the mixin will no longer
+/// be necessary as a way to flag to the framework that the code has been
+/// migrated and does not expect [buildToolbar] to be called.
+///
+/// For more information, see <https://docs.flutter.dev/release/breaking-changes/context-menus>.
 ///
 /// See also:
 ///