Now you can choose to update plugins and themes automatically–or pick just a few–from the screens you’ve always used.

Now you can set plugins and themes to update automatically — or not! — in the WordPress admin. So you always know your site is running the latest code available.

You can also turn auto-updates on or off for each plugin or theme you have installed — all on the same screens you’ve always used.

If updating plugins and themes manually is your thing, now that’s easier too — just upload a ZIP file.

Once again, the latest WordPress release packs a long list of exciting new features for the block editor. For example:

New block patterns make it simple and fun to create complex, beautiful layouts, using combinations of text and media that you can mix and match to fit your story.

You will also find block patterns in a wide variety of plugins and themes, with more added all the time. Pick any of them from a single place — just click and go!

Now it’s easier than ever to find the block you need. The new block directory is built right into the block editor, so you can install new block types to your site without ever leaving the editor.

Crop, rotate, and zoom your photos right from the image block. If you spend a lot of time on images, this could save you hours!

5.5 also brings a big box of changes just for developers.

The addition of block types endpoints means that JavaScript apps (like the block editor) can retrieve definitions for any blocks registered on the server.

WordPress now has a standardized way to define a site’s environment type (staging, production, etc). Retrieve that type with wp_get_environment_type() and execute only the appropriate code.

The Dashicons library has received its final update in 5.5. It adds 39 block editor icons along with 26 others.

The template loading functions (get_header(), get_template_part(), etc.) have a new $args argument. So now you can pass an entire array’s worth of data to those templates.

• The PHPMailer library just got a major update, going from version 5.2.27 to 6.1.6.
• Now get more fine-grained control of redirect_guess_404_permalink().
• Sites that use PHP’s OPcache will see more reliable cache invalidation, thanks to the new wp_opcache_invalidate() function during updates (including to plugins and themes).
• Custom post types associated with the category taxonomy can now opt-in to supporting the default term.
• Default terms can now be specified for custom taxonomies in register_taxonomy().
• The REST API now officially supports specifying default metadata values through register_meta().
• You will find updated versions of these bundled libraries: SimplePie, Twemoji, Masonry, imagesLoaded, getID3, Moment.js, and clipboard.js.