If you haven’t already heard, Automattic has recently released their newest build of WordPress: Version 4.3, code-named “Billie” after jazz singer Billy Holiday.
This version makes it even easier for users to edit, update, and customize their website.
Favicon and Site Icons
So, what are favicons? They are the icons you see in your browser tab, used as shortcut icons on your desktop or home screen. It’s not that easy to manually add them, unfortunately.
First, a website that generates the icons must be found, granted your image was even in the correct format in the first place. Then, if an uploader was not built into the theme, the code and image files must be added through either the editor or FTP. Simply put, complicated and time consuming.
The process is now simplified, enabling upload of a general image through the Customizer. You can crop and preview your work to see what it would look like as both a browser and app icon. The best part? The favicons you set for your website remain even after you switch themes.
Better Passwords and Account Security
Password creation and resets are now revamped: New users are sent a link to create a new password, instead of getting one in plain text. If your password is weak, you will have to confirm that you want to go with it. Otherwise, if you can’t come up with one, WordPress generates a secure password in the field.
Afraid of someone looking over your shoulder? Like Internet Explorer, you can either view the characters as letters, or as hidden dots by means of the Hide button.
Forgot to log out somewhere public? You can Log Out of All Sessions through your User Profile page, signing you out of any other device and browser instances you are logged into.
Visual Editor Improvements
Subtle changes to the visual editor come as formatting shortcuts, decreasing interruptions of your train of thought caused by extra mouse clicks:
An asterisk [*] before your content denotes the creation of an unordered list.
Using a number [1.] much alike in Word automatically starts a ordered list.
Hashtags [#] turn the following text into Headings, with the number of hashtags corresponding with the heading tag. ( For example, # creates Heading 1, ## creates Heading 2, and so on.)
Using a greater-than sign [>] creates a block quote for the text that follows, perfect for quotes, or text that you want to have stand out.
Edit your Menus in the Customizer
WordPress made a push for theme options to be integrated into the native Customizer, allowing you to see what your changes look like on your theme before committing: these include background changes, widgets, and more. New to the roster are navigation menus which let you create, update, and assign your menus while seeing what they look like in your theme.
Other Minor Improvements
More minor, but a bit of a headache saver: For all pages in a new WordPress install and new pages of an existing site, comments are disabled.
The Customizer button is also available in your dashboard through the admin toolbar, located along the top of each page while logged in.
Sources:
https://wordpress.org/news/2015/08/billie/?ref=webdesignernews.com
http://www.wpbeginner.com/news/whats-coming-in-wordpress-4-3-features-and-screenshots/
https://make.wordpress.org/core/2015/07/28/passwords-strong-by-default/
WordPress 4.3 has began rolling out August 18th.