Following the major WordPress 7.0 release in May, WordPress is back with another point release. Set to release on August 19, 2026, WordPress 7.1 includes over 100 enhancements and feature requests as well as more than 180 bug fixes. Here’s a look at the major changes coming to WordPress with version 7.1.
Media improvements and changes
WordPress 7.1 makes several noticeable changes to the Media Library and media handling. Most notably, media processing will be handled in the user’s browser rather than on the server, which is especially helpful for converting an image to a different format (especially HEIC). Image compression, resizing, rotation, and thumbnail generation will also be handled on the client side rather than the server side.
This means a few things for WordPress website owners, according to WordPress’s article on the topic from July:
- Images are processed the same way regardless of what version of PHP the website is using.
- Images should download faster. WordPress noted JPEG images loading about 15% faster.
- Large image processing will not risk a PHP memory limit causing the processing to fail.
- Compatible browsers will decode HEIC images and convert them to JPEG before they are uploaded, even if the server does not support HEIC images.
- Animated GIFs can be converted to MP4 of WebM video in the browser to create smaller files while still appearing and functioning like a looping GIF.
Additionally, the Media Library will now support infinite scrolling.
Global styles
WordPress 7.1 adds a number of features to global styles, including text shadow support, configurable viewports (separate styles for tablet and mobile devices, for example), and the ability to add styles to additional states (like hover or focus).
Persistent admin bar
The WordPress top admin bar will now stay on the screen during editing, making navigation more consistent when editing your site.
New tools for developers
The new WordPress release also offers better support for scalable vector graphic (SVG) files. WordPress 7.0 added a built-in set of SVG icons the block editor can use, but in WordPress 7.1, developers can add custom SVG files. This means plugin and theme files can how include their own scalable icon files.
WordPress 7.1 also adds support for a minimum width setting for blocks, letting blocks specify a minimum width as they currently can for minimum height. Blocks can also add background gradients.
Looking ahead
WordPress is working on developing real-time collaboration, meaning multiple people can edit the same page at the same time, similar to how Google Docs works. The WordPress team had originally hoped to make this the primary change in WordPress 7.0, but the team is working through some major decisions like how to store collaboration data, so this feature is still not ready to ship. It remains to be seen if real-time collaboration will make it into WordPress 7.2, scheduled for release in December, or will be pushed to 2028. Either way, though, know that it’s in the works and will make its way to WordPress eventually.
For a more thorough look at everything coming to WordPress 7.1, visit the WordPress 7.1 Field Guide.
