WordPress 7.1 “Mary Lou” Released on 19 August 2026

Aug 20, 2026

WordPress 7.1 “Mary Lou” was released on 19 August 2026. This new version makes WordPress easier and more enjoyable to use.

The team built this release around how you actually work. Whether you are writing posts, designing your site, or working with others, WordPress 7.1 helps you get things done faster.

The Admin Bar Stays With You

The admin bar now follows you everywhere in WordPress. Before, it would disappear when you moved between different parts of the site. Now it stays at the top of your screen, so you can quickly access your tools whenever you need them. This saves time and makes navigation much simpler.

Better Control on All Screen Sizes

Your site now looks great on phones, tablets, and computers. WordPress 7.1 includes built-in responsive styling. You can control how blocks appear on different screen sizes without writing any custom CSS code. Just use the show/hide options that are already there, and your site will adapt to any device.

New Media Editor

The media tools have been completely updated. You can now:

Crop images freely or by aspect ratio
Flip images horizontally or vertically
Rotate images with fine control
Edit image metadata

All these tools are in one place, and the familiar “Crop” button is still there to get you started.

Better Collaboration with Notes

You can now leave notes anywhere in your content, not just on blocks. The notes support:

Bold, italic, and code formatting
Links to other content
@mentions to notify team members

You can also leave notes on specific text within a block and keep multiple conversations going at once. Long notes can be collapsed to keep things tidy. This makes working with others much easier.

Two New Blocks

WordPress 7.1 adds two new blocks:

Playlist Block: Combine multiple audio tracks in one player with an optional visual waveform
Tabs Block: Organize content into tabbed panels instead of showing everything at once

You can also now register your own icon sets for the Icon block, giving you more flexibility without needing extra plugins.

Behind the Scenes

Some changes happen in the background but make a big difference:

Image processing now happens in your browser, reducing server load
Support for modern image formats like AVIF and HEIC
Faster uploads with progress indicators

WordPress 7.1 “Mary Lou” is a major step forward. It makes building, designing, and managing your website smoother and more enjoyable than ever.

Written by

Mehraz Morshed

Mehraz Morshed is a passionate WordPress enthusiast. He started blogging with WordPress in 2013. What began as curiosity slowly became an important part of his professional life. Since then, Mehraz has explored many areas of the WordPress ecosystem, including content marketing, technical support, product management, community building, and open-source contributions. As an active member of the WordPress community, Mehraz regularly participates in WordPress events, contribution activities, and mentoring initiatives.