How to Hide Update Notifications in WordPress

WordPress, the widely-used content management system, is known for its user-friendly interface and robust functionality.

One integral part of maintaining a WordPress website is managing updates for the core software, themes, and plugins. However, there are instances where site administrators might want to hide these update notifications.

This article provides an in-depth guide on effectively hiding update notifications in WordPress, ensuring a cleaner dashboard and a focused user experience, especially in a multi-user environment.

Understanding the Importance of Updates in WordPress

Before delving into hiding updates, it’s crucial to understand the role of updates in WordPress. Updates in WordPress are not just about new features. They are predominantly about security patches and bug fixes.

Regular updates help safeguard your website from vulnerabilities and ensure optimal performance.

However, in specific scenarios, such as when managing a client’s website or in a multi-author environment, you might want to hide these notifications to prevent confusion or unauthorized changes. Doing so helps maintain a streamlined workflow and keeps the dashboard uncluttered.

Methods to Hide Update Notifications in WordPress

Using Plugins

One of the simplest ways to hide update notifications is by using plugins. WordPress offers a plethora of plugins designed specifically for this purpose.

Plugins like “Disable All WordPress Updates“, “Hide Updates“, and “Easy Updates Manager” are popular choices. These plugins offer a user-friendly interface and customizable settings to control the visibility of updates.

We have a guide on How to Configure Disable All WordPress Updates.

How to Use Update Management Plugins:

1 – Install the Plugin: Choose a suitable plugin and install it from the WordPress plugin repository.

2 – Configure Settings: Navigate to the plugin’s settings page and select the types of updates you want to hide – core, themes, or plugins.

Some even allow you to select independent plugins that should hide their updates.

Custom Code Approach

For those who prefer a hands-on approach or want to avoid using additional plugins, hiding update notifications can be achieved by adding custom code to your WordPress site.

Editing the functions.php File:

1 – Access functions.php: This file is in your theme’s folder. Using a child theme is advisable to prevent losing your changes when the theme updates.

2 – Insert Custom Code: You can add specific code snippets to your functions.php file, depending on what you want to hide. For example:

Hide theme and plugin updates

function hide_update_notices() {
    remove_action( 'admin_notices', 'update_nag', 3 );
}
add_action( 'admin_menu', 'hide_update_notices' );

Hide WordPress core updates

add_filter( 'pre_site_transient_update_core', '__return_null' );

Considerations and Best Practices

While hiding update notifications can be beneficial in specific contexts, it’s vital to approach this with caution:

• Security: Regular updates are crucial for the security of your WordPress site. Hiding notifications should not lead to neglecting updates.
• Regular Maintenance: Ensure someone is responsible for regularly checking and applying updates.
• Backups: Always back up your website before making changes to the code or installing new plugins.

The Pros and Cons of Hiding Update Notifications

Pros

• Cleaner Dashboard: Especially useful in a multi-user environment, it helps reduce dashboard clutter.
• Controlled Environment: Prevents confusion or accidental updates by unauthorized users.

Cons

• Security Risk: If updates are not monitored and applied regularly, it could lead to security vulnerabilities.
• Dependency on Plugins: Using plugins for this task adds extra dependency and might slightly affect site performance.

Conclusion

Hiding update notifications in WordPress can be helpful for website administrators seeking a more streamlined dashboard.

Whether you choose a plugin or a custom code approach, it’s essential to balance convenience with the responsibility of maintaining the site’s security and performance.

Regular monitoring of updates and a robust backup strategy are critical, irrespective of whether update notifications are visible on your dashboard.

Remember, the key to effectively managing a WordPress site is customization and responsible administration. You can maintain an efficient and secure WordPress environment by carefully implementing these strategies to hide update notifications.