WordPress 7.0 is drawing a line in the sand, and it is about time. During the latest Dev Chat, the core team confirmed that WordPress PHP Support for versions 7.2 and 7.3 will be officially dropped. While this might sound like a routine update, the underlying data tells a different story—one of technical debt and performance bottlenecks that we have been ignoring for too long.
I have spent enough time in the trenches to know that “dropping support” isn’t just a version number change. It is a necessary refactor of the entire ecosystem. Specifically, the fact that roughly 22% of all WordPress sites are still running on PHP 7.4 is a massive problem. These sites are essentially ticking time bombs for security and performance.
The Legacy Bottleneck: WordPress PHP Support
When we talk about WordPress PHP Support, we are really talking about the ability to use modern language features like JIT (Just-In-Time) compilation and typed properties. Furthermore, keeping legacy code paths alive for 7.2 and 7.3 forces core developers to write “lowest common denominator” code. This slows down the entire platform for everyone.
If you are still managing clients on 7.4, you are essentially sprinting a marathon with a weighted vest. It is inefficient. Consequently, the push to work with hosts and site owners to decrease these numbers isn’t just “good advice”—it is critical for the survival of the platform. You can read more about how these changes impact the 2026 WordPress Release Schedule in my previous breakdown.
Defensive Coding: Checking Versions
As a developer, you should be checking for these requirements before your plugin or theme even executes its main logic. This prevents the “White Screen of Death” when a user tries to run modern code on an ancient environment. Specifically, use a simple check in your main entry file.
<?php
/**
* Prevent execution on unsupported PHP versions.
*/
function bbioon_check_php_support() {
if ( version_compare( PHP_VERSION, '7.4', '<' ) ) {
deactivate_plugins( plugin_basename( __FILE__ ) );
wp_die(
esc_html__( 'This plugin requires PHP 7.4 or higher to function properly.', 'bbioon-textdomain' ),
esc_html__( 'Plugin Compatibility Error', 'bbioon-textdomain' ),
array( 'back_link' => true )
);
}
}
add_action( 'admin_init', 'bbioon_check_php_support' );
WordPress 6.9.1 and Maintenance Cycles
While we look toward the 7.0 horizon, the immediate focus is on WordPress 6.9.1, scheduled for release on February 3, 2026. This is a maintenance release, meaning it’s focused on squashing bugs rather than introducing new APIs. Several scrubs are happening weekly, and the team seems confident about the timeline.
Therefore, if you have tickets lingering in Trac or GitHub, now is the time to ship those fixes. You can check the official 6.9.1 announcement for the full list of tickets being addressed. Stability is the priority here, especially with the 2026 Core Rep nominations now open.
Server-Side Verification via WP-CLI
For those managing multiple servers, don’t rely on the dashboard. Use WP-CLI to audit your fleet’s PHP status immediately. It is faster and far more accurate than clicking through 50 site backends.
# Audit PHP version across all managed sites
wp eval 'echo "PHP Version: " . PHP_VERSION;'
# Check core update status
wp core check-updateLook, if this WordPress PHP Support stuff is eating up your dev hours, let me handle it. I’ve been wrestling with WordPress since the 4.x days.
Final Takeaway: Modernize or Fail
The decision to drop PHP 7.2 and 7.3 is a necessary “cleansing” of the codebase. While 22% of the web might still be clinging to PHP 7.4, the arrival of WordPress 7.0 will force the issue. Stay ahead of the curve by migrating your infrastructure now. For more technical deep dives, check out my guide on Preparing for WP 7.0.
