Themes – Hugh's Views & News

An image of the letter W in lots of blue badges.

Now This Is Why Keeping Your WordPress Site Updated Matters

Published on Jul 14, 2025Jul 14, 2025 by Hugh W. Roberts62 Comments

WordPress has introduced a useful new feature that benefits all users, including those with a ‘Free’ plan.

With just a few clicks, you can check whether the version of WordPress you are using is up to date, whether any plugins you have installed are current, and if the theme of your WordPress site is the latest release.

Here’s how to verify that all your WordPress installations are up to date. I am using an Apple iMac desktop computer for this guide.

Go to the dashboard of your blog and click on Dashboard – Updates.

An image emphasising the 'Update' button on the dashboard of a WordPress blog. — Click the ‘Update’ button.

After clicking on Updates, you will see a page that informs you whether you are using the latest version of WordPress, plugins, and the WordPress theme you have installed.

An image of a page on a WordPress blog informing if WordPress, plugins and themes are all up to date. — Is everything on your WordPress blog updated?

If, like me, you are a WordPress.com user, WordPress will keep all these items up to date for you. So, why am I then informing you of this feature? Well, it’s all about retired themes and plugins that cause problems.

If you are using any plugins or a theme that has been retired, even if it appears you have the latest versions, any bugs affecting the theme or plugin since the final update will no longer be fixed because WordPress has withdrawn support.

How do I find out if the WordPress theme I’m using is still supported?

To find out if the WordPress theme you are using is still supported (and receiving updates), visit your blog’s dashboard and click Appearance – Themes. You will see a message indicating your theme is retired if it is no longer supported by WordPress. As we all know, using outdated themes can cause numerous problems for users.

Although a retired theme might not cause problems now, it could in the future. Some users attempt to use a workaround to avoid issues, but this is not advised, as it may lead to further problems. Instead of a workaround, switch to a current theme fully supported by WordPress. You don’t have to move to a Block theme if you prefer not to, since many Classic themes remain supported by WordPress. I am still using a Classic theme (Toujours) on my blog, which is fully supported.

Using an outdated, unsupported theme can lead to several issues. Here are a few.

1. Security vulnerabilities: Without ongoing updates, the theme may become prone to security risks that could compromise your blog.
2. Compatibility issues: As plugins and WordPress itself update, an outdated theme may not function correctly with newer versions, causing layout glitches, functional problems such as not being able to leave comments and issues with WordPress believing you are not logged in.
3. Lack of support: You won’t have access to official support for troubleshooting any issues or queries that arise with the theme. WordPress will advise you to change to a supported theme.
4. Performance issues: Unsupported themes may not be optimised for speed and performance, leading to slower load times.
5. Missed features: Regular updates often include new features and improvements; sticking with an unsupported theme means missing out on these enhancements, which could benefit your blog’s features and user experience.

If you are using a retired theme and refuse to switch to a supported one, there’s no point in blaming WordPress for any problems with your blog. It’s not their fault if you continue to use something they no longer support.

How do I change my WordPress theme?

Refer to the ‘Change Your Theme‘ page for complete details.

How do I change a retired plugin?

The best approach is to find a new plugin that provides similar functionality. You can search the WordPress plugin repository or other trusted sources for alternatives.

Conclusion:

Many users often blame WordPress for blog-related issues, which are frequently due to user error or outdated software on their devices.
WordPress has introduced a new feature that allows users, even on the free plan, to check if their WordPress version, plugins, and theme are up to date.
To check for updates, navigate to Dashboard – Updates in your blog’s dashboard. If everything is updated, great!
However, if you’re using retired themes or plugins, you won’t receive support or fixes for any issues that arise.
Unsupported themes can lead to security vulnerabilities, compatibility issues with newer updates, a lack of support, performance problems, and the omission of key features.
To determine if your theme is still supported, navigate to Appearance – Themes in the dashboard.
If it’s retired, consider switching to a supported theme or plugin for better performance and security.

Have you ever faced issues with outdated themes or plugins on your WordPress blog? How did you go about resolving them? Which themes are you currently using, and have you checked if they are still supported? Do you have any WordPress tips to share with others?

Layout, content, settings, and format might differ on self-hosted blogs.

I’m getting tough with non-engaging comments. Comments such as ‘Nice post’ are marked as spam.

The featured image in this blog post is taken from Pixabay. AI checked spelling and grammar mistakes.

Click the buttons below to follow Hugh on Social Media

An image of a desktop computer, camera and mobile phone with the words 'Did You Miss Any Of These Blog Posts On Hugh's Views And News? May 2025.

Did You Miss Any Of These? Monthly Round-Up – May 2025

Published on May 31, 2025May 31, 2025 by Hugh W. Roberts5 Comments

How is your blogging year going so far? It’s hard to believe that by this time next month, we will be upon entering the second half of 2025. It appears that my blog is on track to receive around the same number of views as it did last year, despite publishing significantly less content. I’m pleased that engagement remains high.

In May 2025, I published three posts, the same as I did in April. However, this post increases that figure by one.

My last post this month resulted in quite a shock, as the number of bloggers who either did not know what Alt-Text was or who don’t use it was pretty high. Read the post to find out more, as given all the engagement, I’m not convinced that the blogging community is as inclusive a place as it should be.

In the meantime, here’s your opportunity to catch up on my three blog posts from May 2025.

Are you eager to reduce spam on your blog and connect with like-minded bloggers and writers? Are you excited about the possibility of updating your blog’s theme and curious about how to navigate any challenges that come with using an unsupported or retired WordPress theme? Read on for more details.

Simple Blogging Tips And Insights Every Blogger Needs To Know

Her special place held happy memories, but it wasn’t all that it was meant to be. Could she find an escape route?

Flash Fiction – Special Places

Do you add alt-text to the images and photographs you include in your blog posts? If not, my post outlines why you should.

The Best Ultimate Guide To Why Alt-Text Is Important

Follow Hugh On Social Media.

Don’t forget to add a BlueSky sharing button to your blog.

An image of a desktop computer, camera and mobile phone with the words 'Did You Miss Any Of These Blog Posts On Hugh's Views And News? April 2025

Did You Miss Any Of These? Monthly Round-Up – April 2025

Published on May 1, 2025May 1, 2025 by Hugh W. Roberts3 Comments

In April 2025, I published three posts. I seem to be settling into a schedule of three posts per month, much less than what I was doing this time last year. However, engagement and views remain high, which I’m delighted about, given that I was concerned a drop-off in posts would mean fewer views and engagement. But that’s not true.

My last post, in April, was about commenting, which received the most comments. It’s a hot topic among bloggers, so I wasn’t surprised by the results. If you’ve not read the post and comments yet, check it out and join the discussion.

In the meantime, here’s your opportunity to catch up on my three blog posts from April 2025.

We all make mistakes while blogging. But what are these mistakes, and how can we resolve them?

7 Common Blogging Mistakes and How to Avoid Them for a Successful Blog

Are you having any issues with your current WordPress theme? Are you using a Classic or Full Site Editing theme? Would you let AI help you change your blog theme? Join the discussion.

WordPress Themes: Something Exciting Is Happening

Some bloggers are turning off comments due to time constraints. Are you one of them?

Astonishing! Some Bloggers Kill Off Comments On Their Blogs. Why?

Follow Hugh On Social Media.

Don’t forget to add a BlueSky sharing button to your blog.

WordPress Themes: Who Do You Blame For Your Blog Not Working Correctly?

Published on Jul 17, 2023Jul 24, 2023 by Hugh W. Roberts53 Comments

Who do you blame when something goes wrong with your blog?

Most of us will probably blame WordPress, yet have you ever thought that the problem could be that the theme of your blog is to blame because you’ve never changed it and it’s been retired?

Light blue image with the words 'WordPress Themes: Who Do You Blame For Your Blog Not Working Correctly?' in white text. — Is your blog’s theme causing the problems you’re experiencing with your blog?

Many problems can arise on blogs when a theme has been retired.

How Do I Find Out If The Theme I’m Using Has Been Retired?

You’ll see the following image on the themes page of your blog.

Image of a message from WordPress stating that a theme has been retired. — Has your theme been retired?

Go to your blog’s dashboard and click Appearance – Themes to determine if your chosen theme has been retired.

Can I Still Use My Retired Theme?

Yes, you can. WordPress won’t remove it from your site. However, when a theme is retired, it no longer appears in the list of themes available on WordPress.

Your retired theme may remain available for the lifetime of your site or blog, but it will no longer be fully supported by WordPress. It won’t receive any updates with new features; hence WordPress won’t guarantee it will always function correctly with their ever-evolving software. If anything goes wrong, it may not be possible to fix it.

You can still contact WordPress support so the Happiness Engineers can take a look, but support will be limited, and they’ll probably recommend switching to a newer theme. In addition, they won’t provide any CSS support for the retired theme.

Why Do Themes Get Retired?

Web technology updates make the visibility and functionality of some themes outdated.

Web design is an area that is continually evolving, thanks to trends, tastes, and new technologies. WordPress has to keep up to date with these changes and is at the forefront of wanting blogs to look fresh and modern.

Retired themes can make blogs look outdated, stale, and uninviting to visitors, especially if you’ve never changed your theme since starting to blog.

Themes may also be retired if their design has become old-fashioned or uses certain no longer supported features.

What Should I Do If The Theme I Am Using Is Retired?

You can continue to use it, but it may no longer be possible for WordPress to fix any issues you encounter.

Some of the issues I have found with blogs that are still using retired themes are –

I can no longer leave comments.
Pingback to the blog no longer work.
Pingbacks from the blog no longer work.
The gravatar image is no longer displayed.
The ‘Notify me of new comments via email’ box is missing.
Pressing the ‘like’ button no longer works.
New blog posts do not appear on the WordPress Reader.
Blog posts are no longer mobile or tablet-friendly.
Comments do not display correctly.
Images, photos and paragraphs do not display correctly.
Sharing buttons no longer work correctly.

In all cases, when I’ve checked the blog’s theme when these problems have happened, it’s an old, retired theme.

Some bloggers find workarounds when problems occur, but all this does is put off the inevitable that one day they will have to change the theme.

My recommended advice is to consider switching to a new theme to ensure your blog has a modern look and feel to its design.

If you’re not bothered about parts of your blog being broken, you may wish to continue using it until you are forced to change the theme. However, that’s not something I recommend.

Not only can finding a new theme be fun, but it can also boost your blog’s ranking.

How Do I Find A New Theme?

On the dashboard of your blog, go to Appearance – Themes. You’ll see all the WordPress themes available. For free themes, click the ‘Free‘ button in the top-right of the page.

You can also use the search field on the themes page to find a replacement theme. Click on the filter options below the search bar or type directly into the search field to filter by specific features or subjects or by the number of columns the theme natively displays to select a new theme similar to your retired theme.

Block Themes Vs Classic Themes

Block (or Full-Site Editing) themes are the new boys on the block.

WordPress recommends switching to a Block theme, as these are the future and what will be supported in the long term.

I have heard of some bloggers encountering problems switching to Block themes. It’s a long learning curve to get used to them, but WordPress has plenty of advice and help for switching to one.

Some bloggers who have already made the switch have reported that not only do their blogs run faster after switching to a Block theme, but problems they were experiencing with their blogs also disappear.

I recommend watching WordPress tutorial videos and reading their guidance page before switching to a Block theme. For information, click the links below.

Video Tutorials: Customize your Site or Blog

Using The Site Editor

Should you encounter problems switching to a Block theme, help is at hand.

Go to the WordPress Help Page.

Ask the WordPress community by going to the forum page.

Contact the WordPress Happiness Engineers by clicking on the ‘question mark’ icon (next to the ‘bell’ notification icon) in the top right of your blog’s dashboard.

Ask for help from your followers and other bloggers by writing and publishing a post or contacting a blogger directly.

Important Information: Do not activate a new theme unless you are absolulty sure you like the theme you have chosen, as it’s impossible to go back to a retired theme once you’ve activated a new theme.

Classic themes were created to work with the old Classic editor, but with the large drop in Classic editor users, WordPress has been retiring them, especially when they no longer work with new functionality software or when updates to the WordPress platform have been released.

Unlike Block themes, Classic themes are heavily loaded with CSS code, meaning many things can go wrong. Block themes are only lightly loaded with CSS code, so are less likely to break.

Currently, WordPress provides 54 Classic themes that are free to use and compatible with the Block editor.

To find current Classic themes, search for them by adding ‘Classic‘ to the search bar on the Themes page, and select ‘Classic Theme‘ from the dropdown menu that appears.

If the theme you’re currently using has been retired, I recommend you switch to one of the Classic themes if you do not want to switch to a Block theme. Doing this will fix some or all of the problems your blog may be experiencing.

If you still experience problems after switching to a current Classic (or Block) theme, report the problems to WordPress. How will WordPress know about a problem unless you report it? Don’t rely on other users reporting the problems you’re having with your blog.

Does WordPress have any plans for new Classic themes?

I asked WordPress the above question. Their response was –

‘No, and we doubt there will be as the industry shifts to the more modern and convenient Full Site Editing (Block) themes that remove most of the need to learn coding to create and customize your theme.’

Is WordPress retiring all Classic themes? If so, when?

Their response –

‘It’s likely, as the focus is shifted to the more modern approach. We do not have specific timelines for each theme or the ones available on our list at this moment.’

So I guess it’s a case of ‘watch this space.’

However, given that the Classic Editor plugin is still available, my guess is that WordPress will retain some of the Classic themes until they stop supporting the Classic Editor plugin. But the choice of Classic themes will become more and more limited as time passes.

I didn’t ask WordPress if there are any plans to stop supporting the Classic Editor plugin, although I have heard rumours that they plan to stop supporting it by the end of 2024.

Let’s wrap it up.

Problems may affect your blog because your theme has been retired.
WordPress may be able to fix some issues, but they will advise you to switch to a new theme if the theme you’re using is retired.
You can continue to use a retired theme you’re using, but it may not work correctly.
Once you activate a new theme, you won’t be able to go back to the retired theme you’ve been using.
Upon publication of this post, WordPress offers Full Site Editing (Block) and Classic themes.
All Classic themes are free to use.
There are no plans to introduce new Classic themes.
The number of available Classic themes will continue to diminish.

I’ve seen some bloggers say they will wait until they are forced to switch themes. Given that switching themes can be a complicated and time-consuming project, all that will do is make them panic when the time comes to switch. Don’t be one of them.

If the theme you’re using has been retired, switch now.

WordPress welcomes feedback on the new Block themes and encourages everyone to contact them with suggestions for improving them.

If you enjoyed this post and want more like it, enter your email address and click ‘Subscribe’ to stay up-to-date with my latest content.

To follow Hugh on social media, click the links below.