WordPress 4.9.5 Beta 1 is available for testing and brings with it 23 bug fixes and improvements. A release candidate is scheduled for release on March 20th and a final release on April 3rd. Here are some notable changes you can expect in the release.

“Cheatin’ uh?” Error Message is Replaced

The “Cheatin’ uh?” error message has existed in WordPress for years and for some, is insulting. The error doesn’t explain what went wrong and accuses the user of trying to cheat the system.

Eric Meyer highlighted the error in his keynote at WordCamp North East Ohio in 2016, when talking about Designing for Real Life. He also contributed to the ticket with suggestions on how to improve the wording.

In WordPress 4.9.5, the error has been changed to more meaningful messages depending on the error that occurs.

Recommended PHP Version Increased to 7.2

Inside of the readme file in WordPress, the current recommended PHP version is 7.0. This version of PHP reached end of life last December. In 4.9.5, the recommend version is PHP 7.2. This is the same version that is recommended on WordPress.org.

Offensive Lyrics Removed From Hello Dolly

As we covered earlier this week, some of the lines displayed in the dashboard from the Hello Dolly plugin are inappropriate without context. In 4.9.5, the plugin will no longer display those lines.

There’s a possibility that in the future, there will be a musical note icon or symbol placed next to the line to indicate it’s from a song. In addition, the lyrics are more in line with Louis Armstrong’s recording.

To see a full list of changes in WordPress 4.9.5, you can view a full list of closed tickets on Trac.