WordPress 5.6 “Simone”

Meet Simone, our latest and greatest WordPress release. Named in honour of the legendary performer Nina Simone, who is known for tunes like “Feeling Good”, “Young, Gifted and Black”, and “Four Women”. Fire up a playlist with her best work and read on to discover what we have in store for you. 

WordPress 5.6 Simone with a photo of Nina Simone

Welcome to WordPress 5.6

Sharing your stories has never been easier.

WordPress 5.6 brings you countless ways to set your ideas free and bring them to life. With a brand-new default theme as your canvas, it supports an ever-growing collection of blocks as your brushes. Paint with words. Pictures. Sound. Or rich embedded media.

colored circles

Greater layout flexibility

Bring your stories to life with more tools that let you edit your layout with or without code. Single column blocks, designs using mixed widths and columns, full-width headers, and gradients in your cover block – make small changes or big statements with equal ease!

More block patterns

In some themes, preconfigured block patterns make setting up standard pages on your site a breeze. Let the power of patterns streamline your workflow and save you clicks. Plus, share these features with clients, editors, and more.

Better video captioning

To help you add subtitles or captions to your videos, you can now upload them within your post or page. This makes it easier than ever to make your videos accessible for anyone who needs or prefers to use subtitles.

black vertical line

Twenty Twenty-One is here!

Examples of block patterns available in Twenty Twenty-One.

Twenty Twenty-One is a blank canvas for your ideas, and the block editor is the best brush. It is built for the block editor and packed with brand-new block patterns you can only get in the default themes. Try different layouts in a matter of seconds, and let the theme’s eye-catching, yet timeless design make your work shine. 

What’s more, this default theme puts accessibility at the heart of your website. It conforms to the WordPress accessibility-ready guidelines and addresses several more specialised standards from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at level AAA. It will help you meet the highest level of international accessibility standards when you create accessible content and choose plugins which are accessible too!

A rainbow of soft pastels

A mobile screenshot of each included color palette in Twenty Twenty-One, going in ROYGBIV order.

Perfect for a new year, Twenty Twenty-One gives you a range of pre-selected colour palettes in pastel, all of which conform to AAA standards for contrast. You can also choose your own background colour for the theme, and the theme chooses accessibility-conscious text colours for you – automatically!

Need more flexibility than that? You can also choose your own colour palette from the colour picker.

colored circles

Improvements for everyone

Expanding auto-updates

For years, only developers have been able to update WordPress automatically. But now you have that option, right in your dashboard. If this is your first site, you have auto-updates ready to go, right now! Upgrading an existing site? No problem! Everything is the same as it was before.

Accessibility Statement 

Even if you’re not an expert, you can start letting others know about your site’s commitment to accessibility! The new feature plugin includes template copy for you to edit and publish, and it’s written to support different contexts and jurisdictions.  

Built-in Patterns

If you’ve not had the chance to play with block patterns yet, all default themes now feature a range of block patterns that let you master complex layouts with minimal effort. Customise the patterns to your liking with the copy, images, and colours that fit your story or brand. 

colored and textured rectangles

For developers

REST API authentication with Application Passwords

Thanks to the API’s new Application Passwords authorisation feature, third-party apps can connect to your site seamlessly and securely. This new REST API feature lets you see what apps are connecting to your site and control what they do. 

More PHP 8 support

5.6 marks the first steps toward WordPress Core support for PHP 8. Now is a great time to start planning how your WordPress products, services, and sites can support the latest PHP version. For more information about what to expect next, read the PHP 8 developer note.

jQuery

Updates to jQuery in WordPress take place across three releases 5.5, 5.6, and 5.7. As we reach the mid-point of this process, run the update test plugin to check your sites for errors ahead of time.    

If you find issues with the way your site looks (eg a slider doesn’t work, a button is stuck – that sort of thing), install the jQuery Migrate plugin.

Check out the Field Guide

Read about the latest version of WordPress in this guide. It highlights developer notes for each change in the release. 

“It’s a new day, it’s a new life for me….and I’m feeling good”.

~Nina Simone

The Squad

The WordPress 5.6 release comes to you from an all-women release squad:  

As always, this release reflects the hard work of 605 generous volunteer contributors. They collaborated on nearly 350 tickets on Trac and over 1,000 pull requests on GitHub. Özgür KARALAR1naveengiriA5hleyRichAaron D. CampbellAaron JorbinaaronrobertshawabderrahmanAbha ThakorAbhijit RakasAbhishek PokhriyalacosminAdam SilversteinAdam ZielinskiAddieAdrián de GrafreakAdrianti RusliAfshana DiyaAhmed ChaionAhmed ElgameelajensenAjit BohraAkira TachibanaaktasfatihAlbert Juhé LluverasalbertomakeAlex ConchaAlex KirkAlex KozackAlex LendeAlex MillsAlex StandifordAlex StineallancoleAllie NimmonsambienthackAmit DudhatAmol VhankalasAmy KamalaAnandAnders NorénAndrea FerciaAndrea MiddletonAndrei BaicusAndrei DraganescuAndrew DuthieAndrew NacinAndrew OzzAndrey “Rarst” SavchenkoAndy FragenAndy PeatlingAndy SkeltonAndy StittAngel HessAngela JinAnkit GadeAnkit PanchalAnne McCarthyAnthony BurchellAnthony HortinAnton LukinAntonis Lilisanuj2apedogApermoarchduckarchon810Ari StathopoulosarippbergerarjendejongArnaudBanArpit G ShahArslan AhmedArslan Ahmed KalwarAsvin BallooAtharva DhekneAustin Passyaustin880625avixansaayeshAyesh KarunaratneBackuPsBarryBart CzyzbduclosBeatriz FialhoBen MeredithBernhard KauBernhard ReiterBeth SoderbergbgermannBhagvan MangukiyabhautikviraniBillyBirgir Erlendsson (birgire)Birgit Pauli-HaackbmcdedebobbingwideBoldGridBoone GorgesBoy WitthayaBrady VercherBrandon KraftBrandon PaytonBrent MillerBrent SwisherBrian HenryBrian Hoggbridgetwillardbrijeshb42Burhan NasirCaleb BurksCalin DonCameron VoellcampusboyCarikeCarolina NymarkCarolineceyhun0Chad ReitsmaChandrika GunturChetan PrajapatichexwarriorChintan hingrajiyaChip SnyderChloé BringmannChoubyChris AlexanderChris Van Pattenchriscct7Christian MartinChristoph HerrChristopher ChurchillchunkysteveoClaudiu LodromaneanClayton CollieCollins AgbonghamaCommeuneimageCoponsCorey SalzanocpapazogloucranewestCsaba (LittleBigThings)ctmartinDávid SzabóDaisy OlsenDan FarrowDaniel BachhuberDaniel RichardsDaniele ScasciafrattedanieltjdantahouaDarin KotterDave McHaleDavid AguileraDavid AndersonDavid BaumwaldDavid GwyerDavid HerreraDavid ShanskeDavid SmithDavid Wolfpawdavid.bindaDavis Shaverdd32DeanDebabrata KarfaDee TealDeepak Lalwanidekervitdemetris (Demetris Kikizas)Denis de BernardyDerek HermanDesigner023dfentonDharmesh PatelDharmin ShahDhruvinDhul WellsdietpawelDilip Bhedadingo-dDjZoNedogwithblogDominik SchillingdonmhicodonsonyDossy ShiobaradpacksDr. Ronny HarbichdratwasDrew JaynesdsifforddushakovdushanthidyrerEarle DaviesEbonie ButlerEdi AminElla van DurpeEllen BauerEnej BajgoricEnrique SánchezepiquerasErik BetshammarerikjandelangeErin ‘Folletto’ CasalieroraghavEstela RuedaetoledomEugeneBosEvan MullinsFabianFabian KägyFabian TodtFelipe EliaFelix ArntzFerenc ForgacsFlorian TIARflymikeFrancesca MaranoFrank KleinFrankie JarrettfullofcaffeineGan Eng ChinGarrett HyderGary CaoGary JonesGary PendergastgchtrGennady KovsheninGeorgeGeorge StephanisgeriuxGlauber MotaglendaviesnzgoldenapplesGreg ZiółkowskiguidooffermansgumacahinH-varhakrehappiryuHareeshHaris ZulfiqarharrymharshbarachHauwa AbashiyaHazHelen Hou-SandíHenry WrightHerre GroenHoaSiHowdy_McGeeHugh LashbrookeIan DunnIgor RadovanovImran SayedingereckIpstenu (Mika Epstein)iqbalbaryIrene StrikkersIsabel BrisonjagirbaheshwpJake SpurlockJake WhiteleyJames CollinsJames KosterJames NylenJames RosadojameslnewellJan ThielJanvo AldredJared CobbJason CaldwellJason LeMahieu (MadtownLems)javorszkyJaydip RamiJean-Baptiste AudrasJeff MatsonJeff OngJeff PauljeffikusjellypixelJeremy FeltJeremy ScottJeremy YipJeroen RottyjeryjJeslen BucciJessica LyschikjfoulquierjimyaghiJip MoorsJoe DolsonJoe McGilljoelclimbsthingsjoelyoderJoen AsmussenJohanna de VosJohn BlackbournJohn GodleyJohn James JacobyJon BrownJonathan BossengerJonathan DesrosiersJonathan StegallJonny HarrisJono AldersonJoost de ValkjordesignJorge BernalJorge CostajoseanetoJosepha HadenJosh LevinsonJosh PollockjoshuatfJOTAKI, TaisukeJoyjsnajdrJuliette Reinders FolmerJunaid BhuraJustin AhinonjustlevineK. Adam WhiteKai HaoKailey (trepmal)Kalpesh AkabarikarthikbhatbKasparsKelly DwanKelly HoffmanKelly RkellybleckkellylawrenceKevin HagertyKharis SulistiyonoKipperlennyKiril ZhelyazkovKirsty BurgoineKishan JasaniKiteKittMediakjbenkKjell ReigstadKnut SparhellkomagainKonstantin ObenlandKrupaKyle B. JohnsonlandauLarissa MurillolatifiLaura NelsonLaxman Prajapatilcyh78leogermaniLester ChanLeutrim Husajlim3raLionel PointetllizardLouisLuca GrandicelliLuigi CavalieriLuke CavanaghLumnemager19Maggie CabreraMahesh Waghmaremailnew2sterMainul Hassan MainmalinajirkamanzwebdesignsMarcus KazmierczakMarek HrabeMarie CometMarijnMarius JensenMark JaquithMark ParnellMark RobsonMark SmallmanMark UraineMarko HeijnenmarkshepMarty HelmickMary BaumMateus Machado LunaMathieu VietMatias VenturaMatt CromwellMatt GibsonMatt KeysMatt MullenwegMatt WiebemattchowningMatthias PfefferlemattoperryMayank MajejiMeagan HanesMeg PhillipsMeher BalaMel Choyce-DwanmgolmgrenierfarmmediaMichael ArestadMichael BeckwithMichele Butcher-JonesMichelle FrechetteMiguel FonsecamihdanMike SchrodermikelopezMikey ArceMilan DinićMilana CapMitchell Bennismmarco9Mohammad JangdaMonika RaomopsydMorgan EstesMorgan KayMorteza GeransayehmqudsimreishusmrgrtmrjoeldeanMukesh Panchalmunyagumusicaljoekermweichertn5hzrNabil MoqbelNalini ThakorNaoki OhashiNaoko TakanoNate GayNathan JohnsonNavanath BhosaleNaveen KharwarnendebnetNetravnennicomolletNiels LangeNik TsekourasNikolaNikolay BachiyskinjbrownnlproNoah AllennoahshradernourmaO AndréoakesjoshoguzkocerOlga GlecklerOmar AlshakerOmar Reissoolleegg55Optimizing MattersOv3rflyovann86ovenalloxycPaal Joachim RomdahlpabloselinPaddyPankaj MohalePascal BirchlerPascal CasierPaul BearnePaul BironPaul BunkhamPaul SchreiberPaul StonierPaul Von SchrottkyPedro MendonçapentatonicfunkpepePeter ElmeredPeter SmitsPeter WilsonPhil JohnstonPierre GordonPilar MeraPinarPiotrek BoniupishmishypkvillanuevaprashanttholiaPratik K. YadavPresskopppresstokeprionkorpsealockPuneet SahalotQRachel BakerRajan Vijayanrajeshsingh520Rami YushuvaevRavi Vaghelaravipatelrebasaurusredstar504Regan KhadgiRene HermenauretlehsretrofoxriaanlomRiad BenguellaribaricplusplusRich TaborRnabyRobert AndersonRobert ChapinRodrigo AriasrogerlosroiklesRolf SiebersRonak Ganatraroo2rtaglientoRyan FredlundRyan KienstraRyan McCueRyan WelcherSören WredeSabrina ZeidanSaeed FardsalvoaranzullaSam FullaloveSam WebsterSamuel Wood (Otto)Sanjeev AryalSaqib AmeenSarah RickersarayourfriendsawanobolyscarolanScott CarissScott ReillyscribuscruffianseanpaulrasmussenSebastian PisulaSeBsZSenningSergey BiryukovSergey YakimovSergioEstevaoshaunandrewsShawntelle CokerShital MarakanashrameeSimon ResoksirrealsmerrimansnapfractalpopsproutchrisStéphane TreilhouStanko MetodievStefano GarutiStephen BernhardtSteve DufresneSteven Stern (sterndata)stevenlinxStoyan GeorgievsudoshreyanshSyed Balkhiszaqal21Tammie ListerTeBenachitechboyg5TellyworththefarlilacfieldThelma Mutetethib3113thijsvanloefThomas MThomas Patrick LevythomaslhottaTim HavingaTim HengeveldTimi WahalahtiTimothy JacobsTimoTijhofTkamatmdesignedTobiasBgtobifjellner (Tor-Bjorn Fjellner)Tonya MorkToro_Unit (Hiroshi Urabe)torres126Torsten LandsiedelTowhidul I ChowdhurytreibstoffTrisha CorneliusTung DutzafrirUdit DesaiUlrichuxkaiValentin BoraVarun SharmavcanalesvidhiaddwebVinayak AnivaseVinita TandulkarVinnyvirgodesignWebMan Design | Oliver JuhasWebmigrates TechnologiesWeston RuterWilliam EarnhardtwilliampattonWinstina HugheswittichworldwebY_KolevYan SernYoav FarhiyscikYuiYvette Sonneveld, and Zebulan Stanphill.

In addition, many thanks to all of the community volunteers who contribute in the support forums. They answer questions from people across the world, whether they are using WordPress for the first time, or they’ve been around since the first release all the way back in 2003. These releases are as successful as they are because of their efforts!

Finally, thanks to all the community translators who helped make WordPress 5.6. available in 38 languages at the time of release. Our community translators are hard at work ensuring more languages are on their way (70 are already at 90%). If contributing to WordPress appeals to you, it’s easy to learn more. Check out Make WordPress or the core development blog.

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