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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteKeep WordPress security updates enabled, then choose which plugins and themes can update automatically. Before changing those settings, confirm you can restore a recent backup; afterward, monitor update emails and check the site’s key functions. These steps reduce risk and make failures easier to recover from, but no automatic-update setting can guarantee compatibility.
What WordPress updates automatically
WordPress core, plugins, and themes have separate update controls. WordPress 3.7 and later can install minor and security core updates in the background on most sites that support one-click updates. Major feature releases are different: an administrator must choose Update Now in the dashboard. See WordPress’s guide to updating WordPress.
Plugin and theme auto-updates are opt-in per item, with controls available since WordPress 5.5. WordPress.org says these updates run twice daily by default and emails the site owner about successful, failed, or mixed update attempts. The schedule and notifications are documented in its plugin and theme auto-updates guide.
Set up updates with a recovery path
1. Confirm your backup can restore the site
Before enabling additional automatic updates, make a current backup of both the WordPress files and database. Confirm how to restore it through your host or backup tool; an untested backup is less useful when you need to recover. WordPress recommends backing up before updates and describes restoration as an option if an upgrade causes problems. Its plugin and theme guidance also discusses backup plugins that cover files and the database.
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2. Keep core minor and security updates enabled
Core background updates for minor and security releases are available from WordPress 3.7 onward on most sites that can perform one-click updates. They do not mean every major feature release will install automatically; review major releases and choose Update Now when you are ready.
3. Choose plugin auto-updates
- In the WordPress dashboard, open Plugins.
- Use the Automatic update column to enable updates for the plugins you want to automate.
- To change several at once, select those plugins and choose the bulk action to enable automatic updates, then apply it.
You can use the same controls to turn automatic updates off for a plugin. The exact wording or availability can vary if a host or plugin has altered the dashboard.
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4. Choose theme auto-updates
- Open Appearance in the dashboard and view the themes.
- Open a theme’s details.
- Click Enable auto-updates for that theme.
Theme automation is configured theme by theme. The dashboard controls for plugins and themes are described in WordPress.org’s auto-update guide.
Monitor updates and check the site
Read WordPress’s update emails, including notices of mixed or failed attempts. After an update, check the parts of your site that matter: for example, the public home page, login, forms, checkout, or other workflows your site relies on. These practical checks can reveal visible problems, but they are not a guarantee that every feature is working.
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WordPress 6.6 introduced rollback handling for plugin auto-updates. That is a scoped safeguard for plugin auto-updates, not a promise of automatic rollback for core updates, theme updates, or every third-party update. Details are in the WordPress 6.6 release documentation.
Troubleshoot missing controls or updates that do not run
- Check Site Health: Open Tools > Site Health and review reported errors. The Site Health guide explains background-update and WordPress.org connectivity checks.
- Check WordPress.org connectivity: The site needs to reach
api.wordpress.orgfor update checks. Site Health may identify a connection problem. - Consider WordPress Cron: Plugin and theme update scheduling relies on WordPress Cron. If scheduled tasks are not running correctly, automatic updates may not run as expected.
- Ask the host or plugin maintainer about missing settings: If the controls are absent on WordPress 5.5 or later, a host or plugin may have partly or fully deactivated the feature. Resolve the configuration with the relevant maintainer rather than changing filesystem permissions blindly.
Keep WordPress on a supported release
Automatic background security updates do not turn an older major release into a supported long-term branch. WordPress.org’s supported-versions page, last updated January 7, 2026, says the latest major release is the only version officially supported at present. Older releases may or may not receive security updates; WordPress.org does not guarantee backports or a timeframe for them. Check the supported versions policy when planning upgrades.
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