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WordPress 5.6 is Available to Download
WordPress 5.6 was released for download and installation on December 8, 2020. On today’s episode of the WP Wednesday Podcast we’ll talk about what’s in the release, and why you should, or should not install it.
WordPress 5.6 is Available
WordPress 5.6 Features
- New Blocks
Layout more complex pages easier with more flexible layouts of images, content, color and more. - Auto-Updates for WordPress
In previous releases plugins and themes were available to auto-update, but in 5.6 you can now set the full WordPress core to update automatically. To be totally honest, I’m not a fan of this feature, especially if you run multiple websites. I like to know what updated when, so if something breaks I know what was changed. So tread lightly on auto-updates and MAKE YOUR BACKUPS! - New Base Theme – Twenty Twenty One
All new major WordPress releases feature a new base theme, and every new base is usually significantly better than the last. So I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in this new one. - Beta Support for PHP8
New versions of WP run well on supported versions of PHP including 7.x. But 5.6 features more support for the newly released PHP 8. But many hosts don’t have PHP 8 available yet, and finding themes and plugins that work with the new code may be problematic, so be careful with live sites. - jQuery Updates
Some Javascript updates were made in WordPress 5.6 that can cause some breakage in site features. I use WP Rocket to optimize my site, and had to disable an optimization feature “Remove jQuery Migrate” which was said to increase site speed. But my theme, DIVI by Elegant Themes had some modules that no longer worked.
There are more features and bug fixes that can found on the WordPress.org websites on version 5.6. While I do support upgrading, do it while you have time to research, backup your site, and be ready to either restore that backup or troubleshoot possible issues that may emerge.
Good luck and happy WordPressing!
What are your thoughts on upgrading your WordPress site? Send them to me @BeBizzy on Twitter!
Today’s News Links
- Google Dark Mode
- Protect WP Admin plugin broke in version 5.6
- Plugin download (in case they fix it)
- WP Rocket Affiliate Link – I appreciate the support and recommend this product to everyone!
