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Do you want to remove a theme from WordPress but have no idea how? This guide contains various ways to accomplish that.

Option 1: Delete a Theme Through the WordPress Backend

One of the fastest ways to delete a theme on your WordPress website is through the WordPress backend. To accomplish that, follow the procedures and screenshot images below.

  1. Login into your WordPress backend using an administrator account. Then, hover your mouse cursor on Appearance on the left pane and select Themes from the displayed options.
  1. Consequently, you will see the themes installed on your WordPress website – the first listed theme is your active theme. Hence, select the theme you want to remove – I will remove the Astra theme for this demonstration.
Switch a Theme From WordPress Through WordPress Backend
  1. After doing that, information about the selected theme will appear. Thus, click the red Delete button at the bottom right of the page.
  1. By doing that, you will receive a prompt asking if you surely want to delete the theme – click OK to proceed.
Switch a Theme From WordPress Through WordPress Backend

Option 2: Delete a Theme via Your Web Hosting Service

Another way to remove a theme from your WordPress website is through the file manager on your web hosting service dashboard. To accomplish that, carefully observe the subsequent steps and screenshots below.

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The following procedures are performed on the dashboard of the Unlimited Web Hosting service. Hence, the procedures might be different on other web hosting services.
  1. Log in to your web hosting service dashboard, then select Manage Services in the Manage Services section.
Change Theme From WordPress Via Your Web Hosting Service
  1. On the next page, select your WordPress website from the list of products or services.
  1. After doing that, select File Manager under the Quick Shortcuts category.
Change Theme From WordPress Via Your Web Hosting Service
  1. When the File Manager opens, navigate to the following location using the folders on the left pane.
home > website name > wp-content > themes
  1. On the right pane of the page, right-click the folder with the name of the theme you want to delete and select Delete. For this illustration, I want to delete the Astra theme from my WordPress website.
Change Theme From WordPress Via Your Web Hosting Service
  1. Following that, you will receive a prompt asking if you’re certain you want to move the file to the trash – click the Confirm button to proceed.
Check the Skip the trash and permanently delete the files box before clicking Confirm to delete the theme permanently instead of moving it to the trash.

Option 3: Remove a Theme Using a Plugin

Impressively, you can also delete a theme on your WordPress website using a plugin. To accomplish that, follow the steps and screenshot images below.

  1. Login to your WordPress website backend. Then, hover your mouse cursor on Plugins on the left pane and select Add New from the displayed options.
  1. On the Add Plugins page, input “file manager” in the search field, as shown in the screenshot below.
Remove Theme From WordPress Using A Plugin
  1. From the search results, click the Install Now button under the File Manager plugin.
  1. When the File Manager plugin has been installed, click the Activate button to activate the plugin.
Remove Theme From WordPress Using A Plugin
  1. By doing that, the plugin should appear among the options on the left pane as WP File Manager. Hence, click WP File Manager on the left pane to open the plugin.
  1. When the plugin opens, navigate to the subsequent location using the folders on the left.
website name > wp-content > themes
Remove Theme From WordPress Using A Plugin
  1. Then, on the right, right-click the folder with the name of the theme you wish to remove and click Delete. For instance, I want to remove the Astra theme from my WordPress website, as shown in the screenshot below.
  1. Finally, you will receive a prompt asking if you are sure you want to permanently remove the item – click the REMOVE button to continue.
Remove Theme From WordPress Using A Plugin
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Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I change my WordPress theme?

a) Login into your WordPress backend using an administrator account.
b) Then, hover your mouse cursor on Appearance on the left pane and select Themes from the displayed options.
c) Following that, hover your mouse cursor on your preferred theme from the list of installed themes. Finally, click the Activate button.

2. What is a WordPress theme?

A WordPress theme is a group of folders/files that dictate the overall appearance of your website or blog. 

3. Why do I need a theme in WordPress?

WordPress themes are a great tool for creating an online presence and making your website stand out aesthetically among others.

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4. Must I use a theme in WordPress?

Yes, every WordPress website or blog technically needs to have a theme activated in order to function properly.

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5. Is WordPress open source?

Yes, WordPress is a popular open-source content management system for building blogs and websites.

Conclusion

Unused themes on your WordPress website may seem harmless. However, they can actually be hurting your website’s health.

For example, these themes consume storage space on your web server and can also pose security risks if you fail to update them. So, as a WordPress website owner, what do you have to do to prevent these issues?

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Well, you simply have to delete the unused themes on your website. Thankfully, this guide illustrated three methods to remove themes from WordPress.

Specifically, we learned how to perform this task through the WordPress backend and your web hosting service. This guide also taught us how to remove themes from WordPress using a plugin.

I honestly hope you found this WordPress guide helpful. If you did, click on “Yes” beside the “Was this page helpful” question below.

You may also express your thoughts and opinions by using the “Leave a Comment” form at the bottom of this page.

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Finally, visit our WordPress & Websites How-Tos page for more WordPress guides.

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