WordPress 6.2
New WordPress Version 6.2 – Dolphy
Release Date: March 29, 2023
On March 23, 2023, WordPress released WordPress 6.2, named “Dolphy” in honor of renowned jazz artist and woodwind virtuoso, Eric Allan Dolphy Jr.
This latest version of WordPress brings a fresh experience to site editing, offering more styling options and a distraction-free writing mode.
While this release focuses on features that appeal more to web developers and designers, in this article, we’ll list these briefly and focus on improvements that will benefit WordPress end-users.
For more information on this release, read the WordPress 6.2 announcement.
Note: Always back up your site before updating.
Here are some of the most significant changes to WordPress in version 6.2:
Enhanced Site Editing
The updated interface in the Site Editor gives you greater control over your site editing experience.
Preview your templates and template parts in full, and easily jump into editing from any point on your site.
Improved Navigation Block
Managing your site’s navigation using the Navigation block is now easier with the new sidebar experience.
You can add, remove, and reorder menu items effortlessly, no matter how complex your menus are.
Smoother Block Inserter
A refreshed design for the Block Inserter provides better visibility and easier access to content.
Use the Media tab to quickly drag and drop content from your Media Library, and navigate categories with a split view for faster pattern discovery.
Streamlined Block Settings
The Block settings sidebar is now better organized with tabs for Settings and Styles, making it simple to find and access the tools you need.
Faster Building with Headers and Footers for Block Themes
A new collection of header and footer patterns that can be used with any block theme provide a high-quality starting point for your site’s templates.
Integrated Openverse Media
You can access over 600 million free, openly licensed stock images and audio from Openverse’s library directly from your content editor.
Distraction-Free Writing with Focus Mode
If you want to focus solely on your writing, the new Distraction-Free mode hides all panels and controls.
To learn how to use Distraction-free mode, see these tutorials:
Additional Improvements and Enhancements
WordPress 6.2 includes the additional features listed below, plus more than 292 enhancements and 394 bug fixes.
Style Book
Get a comprehensive overview of the appearance of every block in your site’s library with the new Style Book.
See this tutorial for more details: The WordPress Site Editor
Copy and Paste Styles
Copy and paste the design of one block’s styles to other blocks for a more consistent appearance.
See this tutorial for more details: How To Use WordPress Editor Blocks
Custom CSS
Control your site’s look and feel by adding custom CSS to your site or individual blocks.
See this tutorial for more details: The WordPress Site Editor
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Additional enhancements to WordPress in version 6.2 include:
Sticky Positioning
Keep top-level group blocks fixed at the top of a page as visitors scroll for a dynamic visual experience.
Widget Importing
Easily import widgets from Classic themes to Block themes.
Local Fonts in Themes
WordPress default themes Twenty Twelve to Twenty Seventeen will now include Google fonts for improved privacy and GDPR compliance.
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