What changed
2026-08-19 12:49 UTC → 2026-08-20 08:31 UTC ·
added
removed
WordPress 7.1 software ‘Mary Lou’ release cycle
The development of WordPress 7.1 progressed through its testing phases 7.1, code-named ‘Mary Lou’ in August 2026. The initial stage involved the availability honor of Release Candidate 1 (RC1), which included over 145 updates and fixes, such as an Icons API and configurable speculative loading defaults. As the release date approached, the software entered its final testing stages with a third Release Candidate. The upcoming version, scheduled for release jazz musician Mary Lou Williams, was officially released on 19 August 2026 to coincide with the final day of WordCamp US, focuses on US. The update introduces significant design and workflow enhancements. These include enhancements, including built-in responsive styles for different devices, an ‘Apply Globally’ function for style changes, and new interactive states styling for buttons blocks to ensure compatibility across devices without custom CSS, and navigation. Further updates include new native a persistent admin bar. New functional blocks like include Tabs and Audio Playlists, while the Icon block now features a full-screen image editor, and client-side image processing new API for formats such as HEIC registering custom icons. The media editor has been rebuilt with a full modal, supporting freeform and AVIF. aspect-ratio cropping, flipping, and rotation. Collaboration features are also being tools have been expanded through an upgraded Notes system that supports rich text, @mentions, inline comments, and email notifications. On the eve of the release, technical details regarding threaded comments. Technical shifts include the block editor emerged, noting that it will now run within moving to an iframe. This transition necessitates iframe, necessitating the use of Block API v3, which may require updates to older custom blocks to ensure compatibility. The update also expands media v3. Media support has also been broadened to include WebP HEIC, AVIF, WebP, and UltraHDR. In preparation UltraHDR formats. While real-time collaboration was anticipated, it has been postponed for the rollout, this release. To ensure a smooth transition, WPML released version 4.9.7 to ensure full compatibility with WordPress 7.1, addressing 4.9.7, which addresses security hardening and fixes a specific issue where taxonomy panel display issues. labels in the Gutenberg editor displayed in the admin language rather than the active editing language.