Today, WordPress released WordPress 3.9 named “Smith” in honor of the famous African-American jazz organist Jimmy Smith. The update releases quite a number of upgrades and refinements that many have been waiting for.  You can download Version 3.9 directly from WordPress.org

WordPress 3.9 Features

WordPress has made some really great changes when they rolled out 3.9 They have improved the visual editor's speed, accessibility, and mobile support. Images can be edited much more quickly and easily. You can now drag and drop your images directly into the editor. Photo galleries have been enhanced. There is a new feature added for simple audio and video playlists for showcasing your music and movie clips. Widgets have gotten easier to customize. You can edit the widgets right from the theme editor. WordPress 3.9 also has an improved header image tool that lets you upload, edit, and manage headers in your theme. The theme repository also got a facelift with WordPress 3.9 update.

What should I do when updating to WordPress 3.9?

Like any update, always use caution when updating. Backup your site before making any update. Always. Every time. We recommend using a service like iThemes Backup Buddy to backup your site before you update.  As with any update, there are already some warnings with this update. WordPress 3.9 is a one click and done update, just like in previous versions. If you do not have a backup in place and you lose your site with a backup, it is never good news. Backup and test before you update.

If you are a plugin developer, use caution updating to WordPress 3.9. If PHP 5.5 is being used, the WPDB  class will switch to the MySQL Improved extension. If your plugin from this point on is running on PHP 5.5 there might be some breakage with sites. Currently, there are less than 1% of WordPress users using PHP 5.5 so there is little need to stress at the moment, but do be aware that hosts are updating their PHP versions plugins could stop working at any point. Update now so they will not break later. Be sure to read Samuel Wood's (Otto) article “MySQL in WordPress 3.9  – Implications for Plugin Authors.”

WPSecurityLock’s team are experts at finding and fixing malicious code on WordPress sites and plugins.  If you think your site has been hacked, we can remove malware. If you need repair services, such as updating plugins like Jetpack, we offer a full range of WordPress repair services.  These services are also included in many of our WordPress monthly security packages, which include site monitoring, plugin updates and provide you with peace of mind.

If you need help with updating to WordPress 3.9 or have any questions, please contact us immediately at 815-600-7270 or add a comment below!!