Since version 5.2 is considered a major update (ie. not a minor security update), you might need to manually run an update on your WordPress sites unless you have a web hosting account that handles it for you. (Not familiar with how to update your WordPress website? Check out my easy-to-follow step by step guide and video on “How to Update WordPress to the Latest Version”).
New Features of WordPress 5.2
Although this is considered a major release, WordPress 5.2’s new features are not that visible to most business owners and WordPress users. Major improvements were made in the areas of security, site health, and for the WordPress developers.
Watch Short Video on the Highlights of the New WordPress 5.2
Below is the written explanation of what I cover in the video above.
Site Health Page in WordPress 5.2
With WordPress 5.1, they introduced “Site Health features” that checks for the site’s PHP version and so forth. However, WordPress 5.2 introduces a page that shows possible site health issues in a user-friendly way. This will help you to detect possible issues even if they are not really visible to you. It shows you possible performance issues as well as security issues. And it gives you an easy way to copy all of your sites diagnostics so that you can email that to a tech person if you need hire out and get help.
You can find your Site Health page by going to Tools –> Site Health.
PHP Version 5.6.2 or Above Required in WordPress 5.2
“PHP” is a programming language that is the engine that runs WordPress. And just as WordPress has updates, PHP goes through it’s own updates for optimal website performance. To run WordPress 5.2, you now need to have PHP version 5.6.2 or above.
As there are still many sites using lower, older versions of PHP, you may see a message like this in your WordPress admin panel if your hosting company has not done their job and updated the PHP software on their end:
To update the PHP version for your website, you’ll need to go to the “PHP Version Manager” in the cPanel of your website account. If you’ve never done this and are not comfortable taking care of it, just reach out to your hosting company for help.
Once that gets handled, you should be able to update to WordPress 5.2!
PHP Error Protection in WordPress 5.2
You may have heard of the term “The White screen of death” – even the name of it is scary huh? If you have not seen it, it’s when your website breaks and all you see is a blank white screen.
Well WordPress 5.2 came out with a feature called “PHP Error Protection” that can be a lifesaver when you experience an error like that. Instead of leaving you at a loss in front of a blank screen, when WordPress detects an error like that, it displays an error message while sending an email to the website’s administrator, including a link to access the site in a “recovery mode,” allowing you to try to troubleshoot.
Here is what that newer, kinder, gentler message says:
“The site is experiencing technical difficulties. Please check your site admin email inbox for instructions”
This is what your browser screen would look like:
This is an example of the error message you would get in your email:
Speaking of PHP, WordPress 5.2 now checks for the PHP – plugin compatabilities BEFORE you install a new plugin, and won’t even let you install it unless the PHP version on your site is compatible. This will prevent the site from the issues caused by the PHP incompatibility.
Many of other improvements in WordPress 5.2 are under the hood and mainly for WordPress developers. But just know all the new features WordPress keeps adding are all ultimately helping us users to create awesome websites!
As more features get introduced, I’ll of course incorporate them in my Website Creation Workshop Program. The next WordPress foundation workshop is coming in September 2019…
If you would like to be notified when enrollment opens, just sign up here!
