WordPress dropped version 4.5 on Tuesday Night. It is named after Jazz saxophonist Coleman Hawkins. If you aren’t aware all updates for WordPress is named after the greats in Jazz. I knew the update was close but wasn’t really expecting it this week. I found out about the update when I saw the “Upgrade to 4.5” at the top of a blog I manage. What did I do? I left that blog and updated this one!
WordPress is a platform I LOVE but it can be the source of major pain as well. When it works its amazing and when it doesn’t well I don’t need to elaborate on that issue. If you have a blog I would say go ahead and update through the WordPress update menu. They have really made it super easy to update. In the past you would need to upload all the files over or use a plug in to complete the update. Now it’s a click of a button. I will warn this as well. Make sure you have a back up of your files and database before any update. I have had very few issues updating but a back up never hurts.
This is not a major upgrade for the platform. It’s more of a refinement and security fixes. That being said there are some really great features in release.
- Inline Linking – They have redesigned the way linking is done. Before a big window would come up and you could put in a link or link to previous content. Now it’s just one window. This may throw you off at first, its going to take some getting used too. If you miss the previous version just click the gear icon and it will open the link window you are used too. I think it’s a feature I will like once I get used to it. I can definitely see it as a feature that I won’t be able to live without
- Formatting Shortcuts – These are not things I use that often but it’s a nice addition. If you post a lot of code on your page there are new text shortcuts for inserting code. They actually made it way easier to include it in posts. Also, if you use — and hit return it will create a horizontal line.
- Live Responsive Previews – Google has made mobile one of the most important things with SEO. Now under Theme previews you can view how your site will look on different devices. With a simple click of a button you can see what the site looks like on desktop, tablet and mobile. I will say this is long over due!
- Custom Logos – Inserting a logo just got way easier! The two default themes Twenty Fifteen and Twenty Sixteen both support custom logo. It will allow you to crop the image before posting. Other themes will follow and have this feature.
- Smart Image Resizing – This may sound boring but they are claiming they can load generated images 50% faster with no loss of quality. Loading faster is always a good thing!
These are just a few of the updates. There are many more under the hood improvements that you may not understand. I know there are a few had me going “Huh?” These updates made the platform more secure and easier to use! I am all for that! Update as soon as you can!