WordPress 6.2 Beta 4 is out! With this release have come a good bit of changes. While it is still under development, users are encouraged to test it out to help ensure that the final release is as stable and bug free as possible. However, it is important to note that WordPress 6.2 Beta 4 should not be installed, run, or tested on production or mission-critical websites. Again, it is in Beta!
There are three ways to test WordPress 6.2 Beta 4.
- Install and activate the WordPress Beta Tester plugin (select the “Bleeding edge” channel and “Beta/RC Only” stream).
- Direct download the Beta 4 version (zip).
- Use the WP-CLI command: “wp core update –version=6.2-beta4”.
The final release of WordPress 6.2 is scheduled for March 28, 2023, which is four weeks away. As such, the call for testers is a very important one that will help make sure this release is at its best. If you’re a developer, you can get an overview of the 6.2 release cycle and check the Make WordPress Core blog for 6.2-related posts in the coming weeks for further details.
Why this is important
Testing for issues is a critical part of developing any software, and WordPress is no different. Even users who do not have experience with testing beta releases can contribute. So reporting any issues you come across helps you help release and contribute to WordPress! I know contribute contribute contribute! Am I hitting you over the head with contribution ideas yet?
The Make Core testing initiatives provide a great way to follow along with testing releases in general. Users can also join the #core-test channel on the Making WordPress Slack workspace. If users think they may have run into an issue, they are encouraged to report it to the Alpha/Beta area in the support forums. If they are comfortable writing a reproducible bug report, they can file one on WordPress Trac. Users can also check their issues against a list of known bugs.
WordPress 6.2 Beta 4 includes more than 292 enhancements and 354 bug fixes for the editor, including more than 286 tickets for the WordPress 6.2 core. There are also approximately 79 issues that have been addressed since the release of Beta 3. These improvements and fixes will make creating with WordPress smoother than ever before.
I am very excited about this release as it offers many improvements! It’s still a work in progress but that’s where testers come in!
So, let’s go out there and make this release a great one!!
