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Today I've manually updated my website Wordpress version from 5.0.0 to 5.0.2. Since these updates are not automatic, I'm puzzled by the meaning of this message that appears now at the top of my dashboard (please check attached screenshot):

"You have the latest version of WordPress. Future security updates will be applied automatically."

So, since I haven't changed any setting, what's the meaning of this message? Updates will still be applied manually or can occur automatically? Thanks.

enter image description here

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  • Why are they not automatic? Have you disabled them?
    – Krzysiek Dróżdż ♦
    Jan 4, 2019 at 12:32
  • The WP site I'm handling doesn't have auto-updates enabled, at least for WordPress itself, plugins & themes - I have to manually update them in dashboard. I don't know if this is the default WP behavior, since I have not installed/maintained this site from the very beginning.
    – João Fernandes
    Jan 4, 2019 at 12:46
  • OK, so I would check how exactly these updates were disabled. WP checks if auto updates are enabled, when it displays this message, so something is not right...
    – Krzysiek Dróżdż ♦
    Jan 4, 2019 at 12:58

1 Answer 1

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Since version 3.7 WordPress has automatic background updates.

By default, only minor releases – such as for maintenance and security purposes – and translation file updates are enabled on most sites. In special cases, plugins and themes may be updated.

Of course, as with many things in WP, you can modify that behavior with config or filters.

So to disable these automatic updates, you can:

  1. Add this to your wp-config.php file:

    define( 'AUTOMATIC_UPDATER_DISABLED', true );

  2. Or disable only core updates (also in wp-config.php):

    define( 'WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE', false );

  3. Or use one of these filters:

    add_filter( 'automatic_updater_disabled', '__return_true' ); add_filter( 'auto_update_core', '__return_false' );

So check your site for any of these...

You can read more on that subject here: Configuring Automatic Background Updates

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  • Thanks for the feedback. I was reading exactly this type of information here: https://wpbuffs.com/disable-wordpress-auto-updates/. Frankly, I was still puzzled because I thought these "automatic background updates" (i. e. the minor releases you mentioned) were included in release versions like 5.0.2 (which I've updated to manually) The conclusion I get is that are deeper, 4th low-level minor updates, which can occur between third-level minor updates (like a 5.0.0.1 minor update), and that by default are automatic. Is this correct?
    – João Fernandes
    Jan 4, 2019 at 13:05
  • There are no 4-th level updates. 5.0.2 is a minor, security update and it should be performed in background automatically.
    – Krzysiek Dróżdż ♦
    Jan 4, 2019 at 13:10
  • Ok, but since the update to version 5.0.2 was made manually by myself (I have not changed any settings), why this message appeared? Should I really expect automatic WordPress updates in the future?
    – João Fernandes
    Jan 4, 2019 at 13:16
  • As I've stated above - this message is showed if the updates are possible to perform. But if they are, then your site should update to 5.0.2 automatically. So if it didn't and you had to do it manually, then something is wrong with that site and I would dig deeper to check, why automatic updates don't work.
    – Krzysiek Dróżdż ♦
    Jan 4, 2019 at 13:18

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