What’s New in WordPress 4.9- Here is all you Need to Know

WordPress is one of the most popular content management system (CMS) out there. One of the foremost reason behind the popularity of the CMS is the regular updates and features which get integrated into it every now and then.

Just a few weeks back WordPress 4.9 got rolled out which came with a lot of updates. The sole purpose of the new version like all the other versions is to enhance the user experience.

So, if you are inquisitive about what all features got introduced in the new WordPress 4.9 version then you have come to the right place. Below I am going to showcase these features in the form of points.

Drafting & Scheduling in the Customizer Has Improved

In WordPress 4.9, drafting and scheduling in the customizer have been updated. This will enable the users to view the changes in the theme that has not been saved by them. All the changes in the customizer that are still pending will get automatically loaded when a user logs in his WordPress admin the next time. This has made the process a lot more easy and smooth. The new 4.9 update will allow the users to schedule the theme changes in the customizer.

Introduction of a new Gallery Widget

WordPress developers found it really tedious while adding images to a WordPress website. However, with the 4.9 version, this will not be the case. The new version of WordPress comes with an improved option that enables adding the images via the Gallery Widget. The Gallery Widget has made it quite easy to add, edit and delete images. A user will be able to create a native gallery in the widget area.

Embed Media to Text Widgets

Till now you had to write the HTML code for adding media in a particular text widget. However, with the WordPress 4.9 version, there is no need to follow the same process. Now a user doesn’t need to have a knowledge regarding HTML and CSS. To make things simple you will find an “Add Media” button located on the top of the text widget. This will enable you to easily add images, videos and audios with the click of a button.

Ease in Creating Menus

One of the common issues that are faced by the users in WordPress 4.8 is during the creation of a menu. When a user forgets to specify a menu location on selecting the “Add a Menu” option, the menu did not show up on the site. However, with the new 4.9 version of WordPress, this issue has been solved. While choosing the “Create New Menu” you will be prompted for the menu and the name locations at the same place. You will also be prompted to add pages to the new menu. You still have the option to change the menu location. After returning to the Menus, when there is at least one menu, you will find menu Locations. This new feature is a great addition as it addresses a common problem.

Customizer Has a Preview Link

WordPress 4.9 has a Share Preview Link option that will enable you to share the preview with the other people. The people whom you share the preview with will not face the need to be logged in for viewing it.

A New Global Notification Area

There are no success or failure messages which are generated by WordPress whether a save is committed or not. There is an indication that can be made by disabling the Save and the Publish buttons. The earlier versions of WordPress, did not have a dedicated location for the notifications. But with the 4.9 version of WordPress all the messages will be showcased in the Global Notification Area under the Save and Publish buttons.

Theme Browsing in the Customizer Has Been Improved

WordPress 4.9 feature that enhances the user experience is the improved theme browsing experience of the customizer. In this new version, you will be able to separately search for the installed and the uninstalled themes. Also, there is a new filter tab which you will find on the top corner that will provide you with the option to filter the theme search on the basis of the features, theme types, layouts.

In The End

WordPress 4.9 has not been released publicly as of now. The public release of the version has been planned for November 14 which is not far away. All the features which are highlighted above are of its Beta release. These ensure that when the version finally comes out then all these features will be definitely found in it.

Do let me know your views if you have installed the beta release of WordPress 4.9. Also, please share your positive feedback if you found the article worthy of spending time upon.