WordPress 4.0 Benny Now Available for Download

Version 4.0 of WordPress, named “Benny” in honor of jazz clarinetist and bandleader Benny Goodman, is available for download or update in your WordPress dashboard. While 4.0 is just another number for us after 3.9 and before 4.1, we feel we’ve put a little extra polish into it. This release brings you a smoother writing and management experience we think you’ll enjoy.

WordPress 4.0 is now available. We’ve made more than 250 changes, including:

• Manage your media with style: Explore your uploads in a beautiful, endless grid. A new details preview makes viewing and editing any amount of media in sequence a snap.
• Working with embeds has never been easier: Paste in a YouTube URL or a Twitter link on a new line, and watch it magically become an embedded video or a tweet. The editor shows a true preview of your embedded content, saving you time and giving you confidence. You can now also embed videos from CollegeHumor, playlists from YouTube, and talks from TED.
• Focus on your content: Writing and editing is smoother and more immersive with an editor that expands to fit your content as you write, and keeps the formatting tools available at all times.
• Finding the right plugin: There are more than 30,000 free and open source plugins in the WordPress plugin directory. WordPress 4.0 makes it easier to find the right one for your needs, with new metrics, improved search, and a more visual browsing experience.

Manage your media with style – New Media Grid View

Explore your uploads in a beautiful, endless grid. A new details preview makes viewing and editing any amount of media in sequence a snap.

The WordPress media library has a beautiful new default grid view. When you click on an item, the attachment details will launch a preview that allows you to easily edit and navigate items in your library.

Working with embeds has never been easier

Simply copy the Youtube URL and Paste in on a new line, and watch it magically become an embedded video. The editor shows a true preview of your embedded content, saving you time and giving you confidence.

WordPress has expanded the services supported by default, too — you can embed videos from CollegeHumor, playlists from YouTube, and talks from TED. Check out all of the embeds that WordPress supports. WordPress 4.0 adds oEmbed support for TED talks, Mixcloud, CollegeHumor.com, Issuu, Polldaddy’s short URL format, YouTube playlist URLs. The visual editor now displays previews of media added via on oEmbed URL. The video above is included on the 4.0 about page, demonstrating oEmbed previews in action.

Refreshed Plugin Install and Search Experience

There are more than 30,000 free and open source plugins in the WordPress plugin directory. WordPress 4.0 makes it easier to find the right one for your needs, with new metrics, improved search, and a more visual browsing experience.

WordPress 4.0 makes it much easier to search for plugins in the admin. The plugin installer now displays plugin as cards in a grid view. Plugin authors can add custom icons that will appear in the installer. Clicking on a listing launches the plugin details modal with a description, ratings, reviews, compatibility information and more.