Chosen user password in registration is not being accepted on Login

Question

User registrations are working great, except that the password that he chose isn't being accepted when the user tries to sign in, generating a new password from the back-end and trying to login with the generated password works. what am i missing here?

$email = $_POST["email"];
$password = $_POST["password1"];
$firstName = $_POST["fname"];
$lastName = $_POST["lname"];
$company = $_POST["company"];
$website = $_POST["website"];
$address = $_POST["address"];
$street = $_POST["street"];
$city = $_POST["city"];
$state = $_POST["state"];
$zip = $_POST["zip"];
$country = $_POST["country"];
$home = $_POST["home"];
$office = $_POST["office"];
$mobile = $_POST["mobile"];


if( null == username_exists( $email ) ) {

  $user_id = wp_create_user( $email, $password, $email );

  wp_update_user(
    array(
      'ID'          =>    $user_id,
      'nickname'    =>    $email_address,
      'first_name'  =>    $firstName,
      'last_name'   =>    $lastName,
      'user_url'    =>    $website
    )
  );

  update_user_meta( $user_id, 'company', $company );
  update_user_meta( $user_id, 'address', $address );
  update_user_meta( $user_id, 'street', $street );
  update_user_meta( $user_id, 'city', $city );
  update_user_meta( $user_id, 'province', $state );
  update_user_meta( $user_id, 'postalcode', $zip);
  update_user_meta( $user_id, 'country', $country );
  update_user_meta( $user_id, 'home', $home );
  update_user_meta( $user_id, 'office', $office );
  update_user_meta( $user_id, 'mobile', $mobile );

  $user = new WP_User( $user_id );

  $user->set_role( 'subscriber' );

} else {
    echo 'user exists';
}

replacing $password in wp_create_user() with 'testpassword' or adding a new line to the wp_update_user() array 'user_pass' => 'testpassword' both didn't work.

Answer 1

Dont pass plain text as password, use this function:

wp_set_password( $password, $user_id );

Keep in mind that it should only be run on user creation (so just once), otherwise the password might keep changing.

Answer 2

For whoever passes by and has the same problem:

For me, i was using "New User Approve" Plugin that, after deep searching inside the plugin code, generates a new random password and hashes it then overrides whatever password was set when the admin approves that new user. 2 solutions are possible:

1. edit the plugin code
2. find other plugin or add some functions to your functions.php that adds Admin Approval to your new users