Title: Auto Updates? Last modified: August 21, 2016 --- # Auto Updates? * [Marj Wyatt](https://wordpress.org/support/users/marjwyatt/) * (@marjwyatt) * [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/) * I was just alerted that one of my sites updated. I understand I can disable this but, frankly, I’m alarmed that this feature was implemented. * I do not allow any software to update automatically in my home office. I maintain the websites of many clients and I always perform a backup before updating their sites so I have a recovery path if a plugin fails or something else. * Thanks to this new “feature” I now have a lot of unplanned work to do because I have to modify the wp-config file to disallow this function for every site that I maintain. * I understand that old code is high risk, and I have educated my clients to understand this too. But the fact of the matter is that there have been WP upgrades which have NOT gone smoothly and I’ve been very glad that I waited a couple of weeks for the bugs to be worked out. * This, in my professional opinion, is NOT a good idea … not at all a good idea. * I take responsibility for not reading through the 3.8 release notes and taking action then to stop this intrusive functionality. * Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 98 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/page/2/?output_format=md) [3](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/page/3/?output_format=md) … [5](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/page/5/?output_format=md) [6](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/page/6/?output_format=md) [7](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/page/7/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/page/2/?output_format=md) * [Andrew Nevins](https://wordpress.org/support/users/anevins/) * (@anevins) * WCLDN 2018 Contributor | Volunteer support * [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/#post-4537843) * What was updating? Themes? Plugins? Core? * _[http://codex.wordpress.org/Configuring\_Automatic\_Background\_Updates](http://codex.wordpress.org/Configuring_Automatic_Background_Updates)_ * [StandardExcellence](https://wordpress.org/support/users/standardexcellence/) * (@standardexcellence) * [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/#post-4537903) * Andrew – for me it was the core. * My entire WordPress site updated from 3.8.0 to 3.8.1 while I was sleeping. I didn’t get the chance to do a backup. What if something went wrong? * I use WordPress professionally and I’m outraged that the system is now doing its updates for me without my knowledge or permission. I don’t know how I can stand behind the system and say I support it if I can’t predict what it’s going to do! I really hope when I get to work today that the company intranet still works. * [Andrew Nevins](https://wordpress.org/support/users/anevins/) * (@anevins) * WCLDN 2018 Contributor | Volunteer support * [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/#post-4537904) * > My entire WordPress site updated from 3.8.0 to 3.8.1 while I was sleeping. * Yes, WordPress will update the core automatically from versions like 3.8.0 to 3.8.1. To clarify it won’t update 3.8 to 3.9 steps. * If you want to disable it see this [http://codex.wordpress.org/Configuring_Automatic_Background_Updates#Disabling_Automatic_Updates](http://codex.wordpress.org/Configuring_Automatic_Background_Updates#Disabling_Automatic_Updates) * [DFlynn](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dflynn/) * (@dflynn) * [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/#post-4537929) * Oh my goodness. Andrew, is there an easy way to do that? * I agree with the first poster, I want to keep the right to update my WordPress when I wish to. * [Andrew Nevins](https://wordpress.org/support/users/anevins/) * (@anevins) * WCLDN 2018 Contributor | Volunteer support * [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/#post-4537931) * What step are you finding difficult? * [DFlynn](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dflynn/) * (@dflynn) * [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/#post-4537934) * Hey Andrew, * Dont take take this as a derogatory remark, it aint. Disagreeing, itself is not derogatory. Expressing an concern is not a derogatory remark. * The reason I am concerned about auto-updates is this: * **I don’t trust you folk at WordPress anymore. ** * I don’t trust your judgement about what you folk think is “beautiful,” about what is “functional” etc. I don’t want you folk to make changes to something I use just about every day. * Having said that, I did read the extended comment about auto-updates and how safe they are, and so forth: But I dont trust you. How do I know that you will not just auto-updating other new even more beautiful design features? * Right now the only thing I would like to see coming down the pipe that I should update or upgrade are security patches. * Now to your question directly, your answer is like a foreign language to me, and I am sure to others: * Example: * > To specifically enable development (nightly) updates, use the following: * add_filter( ‘allow_dev_auto_core_updates’, ‘__return_true’ ); * To specifically disable minor updates, use the following: * add_filter( ‘allow_minor_auto_core_updates’, ‘__return_false’ ); * To specifically enable major updates, use the following: * add_filter( ‘allow_major_auto_core_updates’, ‘__return_true’ ); * function always_return_false_for_vcs( $checkout, $context ) { return false; } add_filter( ‘automatic_updates_is_vcs_checkout’, ‘always_return_false_for_vcs’, 10, 2 ); * David: What? * My only working model of comparison is with Window’s products. I just dont see them given the masses instructions like this. * For what it’s worth. * [DFlynn](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dflynn/) * (@dflynn) * [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/#post-4537936) * You just deleted my post? Could you even address the problem of intelligibility for non-code readers? * [Andrew Nevins](https://wordpress.org/support/users/anevins/) * (@anevins) * WCLDN 2018 Contributor | Volunteer support * [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/#post-4537941) * > To specifically disable minor updates, use the following: > add_filter( ‘allow_minor_auto_core_updates’, ‘__return_false’ ); * What theme are you using? * [DFlynn](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dflynn/) * (@dflynn) * [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/#post-4537944) * Hey Andrew, * “WordPress 3.8.1 running Aspire theme.” * [http://calvinandcalvinism.com/](http://calvinandcalvinism.com/) * I love this theme and for my work I want to keep everything very simple for reader- usage. And because I am not a code-reader, I like to keep plug-ins down to a minimum and ultra simple. * Oh and yes, Ive found some plug-ins make Go-Daddy very unhappy, believe it or not. I mean “very” unhappy. 🙁 * [Andrew Nevins](https://wordpress.org/support/users/anevins/) * (@anevins) * WCLDN 2018 Contributor | Volunteer support * [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/#post-4537946) * Can you ask your theme’s vendors how to integrate this bit of code: * ``` add_filter( 'allow_minor_auto_core_updates', '__return_false' ); ``` * into your theme? * Generally [wrong advice redacted] * [DFlynn](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dflynn/) * (@dflynn) * [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/#post-4537948) * Can I ask? I very much doubt it. I can ask a friend of mine. I will forward the code and your links to him. My friend has modified the site here and there, so I can specialize certain features I use. * Thanks for your help. * [Andrew Nevins](https://wordpress.org/support/users/anevins/) * (@anevins) * WCLDN 2018 Contributor | Volunteer support * [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/#post-4537955) * Actually it’s not functions.php file, it’s wp-config.php file you want to put the code in: [http://wordpress.org/support/topic/how-do-we-turn-off-auto-updates?replies=2](http://wordpress.org/support/topic/how-do-we-turn-off-auto-updates?replies=2) * Thread Starter [Marj Wyatt](https://wordpress.org/support/users/marjwyatt/) * (@marjwyatt) * [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/#post-4537966) * As the “troublemaker” who started this thread, I’m glad to read that others in our community are not happy with this new feature. * I’m a code person and not concerned about modifying functions.php and/or wp-config. php. Why not have a setting available in the dashboard General Settings that disables these features so the fix is less daunting to folks who are not comfortable making such changes? * [Andrew Nevins](https://wordpress.org/support/users/anevins/) * (@anevins) * WCLDN 2018 Contributor | Volunteer support * [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/#post-4537967) * Try a plugin: [http://wordpress.org/plugins/update-control/](http://wordpress.org/plugins/update-control/) * Thread Starter [Marj Wyatt](https://wordpress.org/support/users/marjwyatt/) * (@marjwyatt) * [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/#post-4537969) * Andrew, I do not need to use a plugin nor do I recommend that my clients install plugins for things that are so simple to fix for people like me. * Even Microsoft allows an option to optin or optout of automatic updates. * The idea of this change is good. Its implementation is bad, in my professional opinion. Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 98 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/page/2/?output_format=md) [3](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/page/3/?output_format=md) … [5](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/page/5/?output_format=md) [6](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/page/6/?output_format=md) [7](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/page/7/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/page/2/?output_format=md) The topic ‘Auto Updates?’ is closed to new replies. * In: [Requests and Feedback](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/requests-and-feedback/) * 98 replies * 17 participants * Last reply from: [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/) * Last activity: [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/auto-updates/page/7/#post-4538125) * Status: not a support question ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics