The upcoming WordPress 5.5 update extends the automatic update capabilities of the content management system to themes and plugins.
Currently, automatic updates are only available for the WordPress CMS core. Soon, when the stable WordPress 5.5 version is rolled out to everyone, themes and plugins can also be set to update automatically.
Presumably, the auto-update feature has been extended to themes and plugins to prevent sites from being hacked.
Just a few weeks ago, we published a story about 8 popular WordPress plugins that have been exploited by hackers . In each case, hackers can take advantage of vulnerabilities in the plugin to take control of the site.
Vulnerabilities like this can be easily patched with a quick update. The problem is that many website owners install plugins and themes and then forget to update them.
When 5.5 was launched, website owners could theoretically install plugins without having to bother with them, and remain safe as plugins will be updated automatically.
Overdue features have been in use for months
This feature has been in use since 2020, although it can be said that it is much earlier than this.
In February, the official WordPress team released a plugin with this exact feature. However, please download with caution as it is still a beta test plugin.
The plugin description states that this feature was originally scheduled for release in 2020. It was not released on time, but it was not forgotten.
WordPress and the next version (v5.5) are now expected to automatically update themes and plugins.
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