Yesterday, I spent the day upgrading several WordPress websites to the new 4.9 version.
In the latest version, there are several exciting new features that will improve user experience and enhance WordPress websites, so I thought I would share them with you here in a quick blogpost.
When you first upgrade your WordPress website and land back on the Dashboard, you’ll see the new features broken down into 4 sections. There’s no video or accolade to a past musician as in recent major version upgrades, just a cool modern, colourful graphical presentation with brief descriptions (partially shown in the screenshot below).
All together there are 11 new features mentioned, plus one I spotted right after the update. I have not tried them out yet but they sound like they will greatly improve the user experience.
So what are the new features in WordPress 4.9?
1. Improved Customizr Workflow
- Draft and schedule site design customizations
- Collaborate with design preview links
- Design locking to guard your changes
- A prompt to protect your work
2. Coding Enhancements
- Syntax highlighting & error checking
- Sandbox for safety (error warning)
- Warning: potential danger ahead
3. Even More Widget Updates
- New Gallery widget
- Add Media Buttons
4. Site Building Improvements
- More reliable theme switching
- Better menu instructions
The additional new feature I immediately spotted when I went to update the plugins was the addition of thumbnail/icons next each plugin listed.
I’m not going to go into detail about the changes, suffice to say, I am looking forward to trying them out on my own WordPress websites – including my new KazDesignWorks.com website that I am currently in the process of adding content to. I think the first feature I shall be trying out is the New Gallery Widget for my portfolio pages.
If you’ve already upgraded to WordPress 4.9, what new features have you found that are not listed above? And which of the new features do you like best and think will improve your workflow and WordPress experience?
I’d love to hear about them so let me know in the comments below.
