Last checked and updated on April 20, 2026What Is New in WordPress 3.6
| Category | Key Changes |
|---|---|
| New Features | Twenty Thirteen Theme, Post Locking, Built-in Audio/Video Support, Revamped Revisions |
| Improvements | New Admin Color Schemes, Menu Editor UI, Autosave and Post Locking |
| Developer Updates | New XML-RPC API methods, Revised Autosave Logic, HTML5 Markup for Comments |
What's the new default theme all about?
WordPress 3.6 introduces the Twenty Thirteen theme, which is designed to showcase post formats. It uses a single-column layout with a bold color scheme and focuses on readability. This theme is built to be a canvas for bloggers who want to use the full range of post format types.
How has post editing been improved?
The post editing experience got a major upgrade with two key features: Post Locking and a new Revisions interface. Post Locking shows when someone else is editing a post, preventing edit conflicts. The revamped Revisions browser uses a slider to visually compare differences between any two versions of a post.
What about native media support?
This release embeds robust audio and video support directly into the core. You can now easily embed audio and video files without relying on third-party plugins or shortcodes. The player uses native HTML5 elements and includes a fallback to a Flash-based player for older browsers.
Are there any updates for developers?
Yes, several under-the-hood changes are significant for developers. The XML-RPC API has been expanded with new methods for working with posts and terms. The autosave functionality was rewritten to be more reliable. Comments now use HTML5 markup, and the wp_nav_menu() function received a new walker object.
// Example of new HTML5 comment markup
<article id="comment-1" class="comment">
<footer class="comment-meta">
...
</footer>
<div class="comment-content">
...
</div>
</article>What are the new admin features?
Users get new admin color schemes to personalize their dashboard. The menu management interface was updated for better usability. Autosave is now more resilient, so you're less likely to lose content if your browser crashes during writing.
FAQ
How does the new Post Locking feature work technically?
It uses a heartbeat API to check for simultaneous editors. When a user starts editing, a lock is set. If a second user tries to edit, they see a notification showing who is currently editing, preventing conflicting updates.
Is the new HTML5 comment markup backwards compatible?
Yes, the new <article> and <footer> elements are output within the same container divs. Most existing comment styles in themes will continue to work without modification, but themes should update to the new semantic markup for forward compatibility.
What audio/video formats does the new media player support natively?
The native HTML5 player supports MP4, WebM, Ogg, MP3, and WAV files. For browsers that don't support HTML5 video (like older IE), it automatically falls back to a Flash-based player.
What new methods were added to the XML-RPC API?
The update added methods for managing post types (wp.getPostTypes, wp.getPostType) and taxonomies (wp.getTaxonomies, wp.getTaxonomy). This provides more complete remote management capabilities for apps and services.
How was the Autosave mechanism improved?
The old autosave was replaced with a more robust system that saves locally first, then to the server. This two-stage process drastically reduces the chance of losing content due to connection issues or browser crashes during the save process.