Last updated December 6th, 2023 00:32
The developers have released a new version of WordPress 6.2 on March 29, 2023. This version brings a major update that may disrupt existing website elements. Newly added features can, for example, affect plugins, theme designs, translations, libraries, and packages that are not currently compatible with this version. Therefore, it is advisable to consider the reasons to wait for the WordPress 6.2 update.
The reasons to wait for the update to WordPress 6.2:
The WordPress 6.2 version improves performance, tightens security, fixes bugs, and adds a range of new features. However, it may happen that you will have to decide whether to switch to the new version or not. The following text will show you some of the situations that may occur.
Backward compatibility
Although most of the features introduced in WordPress 6.2 are designed to be backward compatible, there are some that are not. If you are using plugins that have not been updated by their developers in a while, upgrading to the new version may cause the entire system to crash. Therefore, it is a good idea to make a list of the plugins you use before upgrading, and check when they were last updated on the WordPress.org website. Also, verify if the developer declares full functionality on the new version of WordPress.
Some of the libraries that have been updated and should be checked for compatibility include:
- jQuery – updated to version 3.6.3 (bug fixes)
- PHPMailer – updated to version 6.7.0 (bug fixes and improvements for PHP 8.1)
- polyfill-library – updated to version 4.7.0.
However, most library updates are minor, meaning they are unlikely to cause any issues on your website. Nevertheless, we still use the word ‘unlikely.’
Full site editor
WordPress 6.2 introduces the completed Full Site Editor, which was originally in beta. If your template does not support this editor, it could cause issues with some functions, such as navigation menus, custom CSS, and widgets.
React 18 library
React is a library for building user interfaces (UI) developed by Facebook. It can be used in many web applications as well as in mobile applications.
WordPress uses React as the foundation for the block editor, which was introduced in version 5.0. The block editor is a part of the WordPress core and allows users to create pages and posts using blocks that comprise various elements, such as images, text, quotes, and so on. The React library enables the block editor to respond to user actions and update the page content instantly. WordPress 6.2 includes React version 18. If you have installed a WordPress plugin that uses an older version of React than this one, you should wait for updates from the plugin developer.
Google Fonts
If you are using default WordPress themes from Twenty Twelve and newer versions, the upcoming releases will no longer load Google Fonts due to privacy concerns. All fonts will be loaded from the theme directory on your website. If you have modified the font styles of your theme, make sure your website will be fully functional after the update. These changes will not affect any other than the native WordPress themes.
Google Fonts contains hundreds of fonts that can be easily used on the web. These fonts are optimized for use on the web and have different styles, sizes, and variants, making it easy to choose the right font for any project.
Using Google Fonts is very easy. All you need to do is select the desired font on the Google Fonts website and then attach it to your website using CSS code. This allows the font to be used on the web without the need to install it on the user's computer.
Security problems
New features introduced in version 6.2, especially those that perform database updates or queries, sometimes bring security risks and bugs. WordPress developers may need several days to fix these vulnerabilities. Therefore, if you wait with the update, you will probably avoid vulnerabilities that will be discovered shortly after the release of the new version and that the entire community will start using (not just beta testers).
Deprecated functions and classes
WordPress 6.2 has removed some old functions, such as get_page_by_title(), and replaced them with the WP_Query function. If you’re using templates or plugins that use get_page_by_title() to output search results, you may encounter errors (such as memory limit exhaustion) when updating to version 6.2. The outdated files WP-includes/Requests/library/Requests.php and wp-includes/class-requests.php have also been deprecated. All templates and plugins that used these files will run into issues unless the developer makes the necessary changes to their code and releases an update.
The reasons to wait for the WordPress 6.2 update – conclusion.
As you can see, it really is up for consideration whether to update immediately or wait. If you still decide to proceed with the update, I recommend doing the one thing that can save you in case of system failure – make a complete backup of your website content, to which you can return in case of a problem. The reasons to wait with updating to WordPress 6.2 are here and it is necessary to take them into account. First, make sure that no problem can occur (see above), then make a complete backup and finally proceed with the update of the system. I wish you good luck.
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