diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 02de0a60ff4c9..4c74b0dd448cb 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -55925,6 +55925,7 @@
 				"@wordpress/escape-html": "file:../escape-html",
 				"@wordpress/i18n": "file:../i18n",
 				"@wordpress/keycodes": "file:../keycodes",
+				"@wordpress/private-apis": "file:../private-apis",
 				"memize": "^2.1.0",
 				"rememo": "^4.0.2"
 			},
@@ -70473,6 +70474,7 @@
 				"@wordpress/escape-html": "file:../escape-html",
 				"@wordpress/i18n": "file:../i18n",
 				"@wordpress/keycodes": "file:../keycodes",
+				"@wordpress/private-apis": "file:../private-apis",
 				"memize": "^2.1.0",
 				"rememo": "^4.0.2"
 			}
diff --git a/packages/private-apis/src/implementation.js b/packages/private-apis/src/implementation.js
index 619478cf76386..de109e06a8da3 100644
--- a/packages/private-apis/src/implementation.js
+++ b/packages/private-apis/src/implementation.js
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ const CORE_MODULES_USING_PRIVATE_APIS = [
 	'@wordpress/format-library',
 	'@wordpress/patterns',
 	'@wordpress/reusable-blocks',
+	'@wordpress/rich-text',
 	'@wordpress/router',
 	'@wordpress/dataviews',
 ];
diff --git a/packages/rich-text/README.md b/packages/rich-text/README.md
index 90fd15e1c905c..ac58e81fa5d84 100644
--- a/packages/rich-text/README.md
+++ b/packages/rich-text/README.md
@@ -299,6 +299,10 @@ _Returns_
 
 -   `RichTextValue`: A new combined value.
 
+### privateApis
+
+Private @wordpress/block-editor APIs.
+
 ### registerFormatType
 
 Registers a new format provided a unique name and an object defining its behavior.
diff --git a/packages/rich-text/package.json b/packages/rich-text/package.json
index 645beb47bfa2a..9f7c152ea6e17 100644
--- a/packages/rich-text/package.json
+++ b/packages/rich-text/package.json
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 		"@wordpress/escape-html": "file:../escape-html",
 		"@wordpress/i18n": "file:../i18n",
 		"@wordpress/keycodes": "file:../keycodes",
+		"@wordpress/private-apis": "file:../private-apis",
 		"memize": "^2.1.0",
 		"rememo": "^4.0.2"
 	},
diff --git a/packages/rich-text/src/component/use-anchor.js b/packages/rich-text/src/component/use-anchor.js
index ce571858a9b99..8cfdedb6d1474 100644
--- a/packages/rich-text/src/component/use-anchor.js
+++ b/packages/rich-text/src/component/use-anchor.js
@@ -86,18 +86,6 @@ function createVirtualAnchorElement( range, editableContentElement ) {
 	};
 }
 
-/**
- * Get the anchor: a format element if there is a matching one based on the
- * tagName and className or a range otherwise.
- *
- * @param {HTMLElement} editableContentElement The editable wrapper.
- * @param {string}      tagName                The tag name of the format
- *                                             element.
- * @param {string}      className              The class name of the format
- *                                             element.
- *
- * @return {HTMLElement|VirtualAnchorElement|undefined} The anchor.
- */
 function getAnchor( editableContentElement, tagName, className ) {
 	if ( ! editableContentElement ) return;
 
@@ -124,19 +112,7 @@ function getAnchor( editableContentElement, tagName, className ) {
 	return createVirtualAnchorElement( range, editableContentElement );
 }
 
-/**
- * This hook, to be used in a format type's Edit component, returns the active
- * element that is formatted, or a virtual element for the selection range if
- * no format is active. The returned value is meant to be used for positioning
- * UI, e.g. by passing it to the `Popover` component via the `anchor` prop.
- *
- * @param {Object}           $1                        Named parameters.
- * @param {HTMLElement|null} $1.editableContentElement The element containing
- *                                                     the editable content.
- * @param {WPFormat=}        $1.settings               The format type's settings.
- * @return {Element|VirtualAnchorElement|undefined|null} The active element or selection range.
- */
-export function useAnchor( { editableContentElement, settings = {} } ) {
+function useAnchorBase( { editableContentElement, settings = {} } ) {
 	const { tagName, className } = settings;
 	const [ anchor, setAnchor ] = useState( () =>
 		getAnchor( editableContentElement, tagName, className )
@@ -174,6 +150,33 @@ export function useAnchor( { editableContentElement, settings = {} } ) {
 		};
 	}, [ editableContentElement, tagName, className, callback ] );
 
-	anchor.update = callback;
+	return {
+		anchor,
+		update: callback,
+	};
+}
+
+/**
+ * This hook, to be used in a format type's Edit component, returns the active
+ * element that is formatted, or a virtual element for the selection range if
+ * no format is active. The returned value is meant to be used for positioning
+ * UI, e.g. by passing it to the `Popover` component via the `anchor` prop.
+ *
+ * @param {Object}           $1                        Named parameters.
+ * @param {HTMLElement|null} $1.editableContentElement The element containing
+ *                                                     the editable content.
+ * @param {WPFormat=}        $1.settings               The format type's settings.
+ * @return {Element|VirtualAnchorElement|undefined|null} The active element or selection range.
+ */
+export function useAnchor( { editableContentElement, settings = {} } ) {
+	const { anchor } = useAnchorBase( { editableContentElement, settings } );
+
 	return anchor;
 }
+
+export function useAnchorWithUpdate( {
+	editableContentElement,
+	settings = {},
+} ) {
+	return useAnchorBase( { editableContentElement, settings } );
+}
diff --git a/packages/rich-text/src/index.ts b/packages/rich-text/src/index.ts
index f82317d81573d..57f8bad762628 100644
--- a/packages/rich-text/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/rich-text/src/index.ts
@@ -36,3 +36,5 @@ export {
  * documentation for more information.
  */
 export type { RichTextValue } from './types';
+
+export { privateApis } from './private-apis';
diff --git a/packages/rich-text/src/lock-unlock.js b/packages/rich-text/src/lock-unlock.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..fa8c56b7d3ff6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/rich-text/src/lock-unlock.js
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+/**
+ * WordPress dependencies
+ */
+import { __dangerousOptInToUnstableAPIsOnlyForCoreModules } from '@wordpress/private-apis';
+
+export const { lock, unlock } =
+	__dangerousOptInToUnstableAPIsOnlyForCoreModules(
+		'I know using unstable features means my theme or plugin will inevitably break in the next version of WordPress.',
+		'@wordpress/rich-text'
+	);
diff --git a/packages/rich-text/src/private-apis.js b/packages/rich-text/src/private-apis.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..398ffb4065146
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/rich-text/src/private-apis.js
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+/**
+ * Internal dependencies
+ */
+import { useAnchorWithUpdate } from './component/use-anchor';
+import { lock } from './lock-unlock';
+
+/**
+ * Private @wordpress/block-editor APIs.
+ */
+export const privateApis = {};
+lock( privateApis, {
+	useAnchorWithUpdate,
+} );