The 5 Latest WordPress Versions And Features To Look For In 2019

WordPress is hands down the best Content Management System at present. Be it for academic purpose or writing a search engine optimized content, WordPress serves all the requirements. And, to get the best out of this CMS, you must stay aware of all the latest WordPress versions and features.

WordPress comes up with updates quite frequently. At least once in every 15 days. You will get 2 to 4 updates almost every month.

These updates are necessary for utilizing the features of WordPress. So, it is wiser to go for the latest version.

However, you might want to know what the updated version is offering. And, what makes the new edition so special. Well, it is always better to have a brief idea.

In this article, I will be talking about 5 latest versions of WordPress to look up to. So, without further ado, let us begin.

WordPress 5.2 Beta 3

The world was yet to get over from WordPress 5.0 and another remarkable update came up. WordPress 5.2 Beta 3 is the successor of Beta 1 and 2. These 3 versions differ slightly from one another.

Beta 3 was still developing in April. However, after it’s initial release, running it on a production site won’t be a problem. WordPress 5.2 Beta 3 released on 30th April.

In Beta 2, there were some glitches and bugs. Beta 3 claimed that this version is free of those shortcomings.

In this version, you will get a refined and new Site Health feature.
Plugins won’t update unless the site is running a supported version of PHP.
If a site runs in Recovery Mode, it will be much more apparent.
Well before, the Distraction Free button was responsible for breaking keyboard navigation in the Class Editor. But this won’t happen in Beta 3.
Further, assistive technologies will do a lot better job. It will be visible when it comes to announcing the admin bar submenus.
Also, you will get a much more consistent subject line in case of WordPress emails.
You will also see the personal data exports as completed only when someone downloads his/her data. Otherwise, the status won’t show Complete.
And above all, you will get some effective improvements in accessibility.

In order to run WordPress 5.2 Beta 3, you will require at least 5.6.20. PHP version. For older versions of PHP, Beta 3 won’t support.

Accordingly, Beta 3 has a lot of features that can offer developers a smooth and refined experience. Also, you can offer a translation to WordPress. And finally, if you find a bug, WordPress lets you post about it.

WordPress 5.2 Release Candidate 2

On April 25, the WordPress 5.2 Release Candidate was announced. And, on May 2, WordPress came up with RC 2. Obviously, RC 2 has better functionalities compared to RC 1. Release Candidate 2 officially hit the market on May 7, 2019.

There are a number of things you can expect in RC 2.

WordPress 5.2 comes with more and better tools. These tools will be robust.
And, identifying as well as fixing configuration issues along with some other fatal errors will become easier.
Also, if you are a developer or owner of a site, these tools will get you covered. You can get the right information as per the need.
This version also promises a hand full of new features for Site Health Check and PHP Error Protection tools. Thus, if you discover any problems with plugins or some themes on your website, you can be at ease while doing that.
The icons available on the dashboard is getting an update too. This is done while keeping in mind the fresh accessibility considerations especially for using assistive technologies.
Further, you will find a more appropriate translation of the Recovery Mode notification emails.

You can test RC 2 using the WordPress Beta Tester plugin before implementing it on a live site. It is always better to test your themes and plugins beforehand. And, if you need any kind of help, the Support Forum will help you.

WordPress 5.2 “Jaco”

The name Jaco is given to version 5.2 in the honor of Jaco Pastorius. He was a revolutionary jazz bassist. This version comes with added security features. Also, if anything goes wrong with the site, fixing will be much easier with Jaco.

This version offers even better tools that can easily identify and fix configuration issue along with fatal errors. If you are developers, it will serve you well.

The Site Health Check feature first came with version 5.1. And, it kept on improving with every update. In Jaco, you will get 2 added pages. These pages help in debugging configuration issues.
You will also get a PHP error protection which will be a blessing for developers. You can easily tackle problems like white screen of death with this.
There is an accessibility update that will make the contextual awareness and keyboard navigation flow better.
You will see 13 new icons on the dashboard. These include Instagram, BuddyPress, and so on.
To combat the compatibility issue, Jaco introduced a plugin compatibility check. Therefore, this feature will determine the compatibility of the site’s PHP version and plugins.
Apart from these, you will also get javaScript, new body hook, and privacy updates.

WordPress invested lots of time and effort in this version. In short, WordPress 5.2 Jaco will make anyone’s experience better.

WordPress 5.2.1 Maintenace Release

WordPress 5.2.1 Maintenance Release fixed lots of bugs, 33 to be precise. At the same time, they announced about the version 5.2.2. You can go for the update from the dashboard.

It fixed the glitch with Block Editor. With this version, you will get a smooth and easier version of Block Editor.
The Site Health feature also improved significantly.
Also, the improvement of accessibility is noteworthy.
And finally, you will get a better and improved internationalization too.

It is basically a short-cycle maintenance release. And, they launched the next version after 15 days.

WordPress 5.2.2 Maintenace Release

This version is the latest one. In this update, WordPress fixed exactly 13 bugs those were reported by users. This one is also a short-cycle maintenance release. So, you can hope for another update soon.

Dashboard elements will now have clear focus states and the tab order will be organized.
It fixes the issue with wrong navigation arrows in the Media Modal.
No extra border will display.
Site Health Improvement becomes more organized.
There are improvements in the Theme Update as well.

This updated version will serve the developers well. Mostly this version focuses on fixing the bugs of version 5.2.

Wrapping up

WordPress is the first choice of developers around the world. Also, due to its functionalities, bloggers and site owners choose this one as well. That is why WordPress continuously come up with updates.

These updates are meant for making the working experience better. Some of these updates have loopholes. But no technology is free of occasional glitches. But keeping the CMS up to date reduce the chances of bugs.

So, what you can do is keep looking for updates. Only then, you can fully utilize the features of WordPress. And, if you haven’t updated the CMS in a long time, then take a look at the features the latest version is offering.

Moreover, if you face any issues with the updates, then you can always report it to the forum. And, if you find any bugs, then also WordPress welcomes users to report them.

So, without wasting much time, just go for the latest WordPress versions and features.