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Introducing our most refined user experience with the improved block editor in WordPress 5.3! Named “Kirk” in honour of jazz multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk, the latest and greatest version of WordPress is available for download or update in your dashboard.

5.3 expands and refines the block editor with more intuitive interactions and improved accessibility. New features in the editor increase design freedoms, provide additional layout options and style variations to allow designers more control over the look of a site.

This release also introduces the Twenty Twenty theme giving the user more design flexibility and integration with the block editor. Creating beautiful web pages and advanced layouts has never been easier.

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Block Editor Improvements

This enhancement-focused update introduces over 150 new features and usability improvements, including improved large image support for uploading non-optimized, high-resolution pictures taken from your smartphone or other high-quality cameras. Combined with larger default image sizes, pictures always look their best.

Accessibility improvements include the integration of block editor styles in the admin interface. These improved styles fix many accessibility issues: color contrast on form fields and buttons, consistency between editor and admin interfaces, new snackbar notices, standardizing to the default WordPress color scheme, and the introduction of Motion to make interacting with your blocks feel swift and natural.

For people who use a keyboard to navigate the dashboard, the block editor now has a Navigation mode. This lets you jump from block to block without tabbing through every part of the block controls.

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Expanded Design Flexibility

WordPress 5.3 adds even more robust tools for creating amazing designs.

• The new Group block lets you easily divide your page into colorful sections.
• The Columns block now supports fixed column widths.
• The new predefined layouts make it a cinch to arrange content into advanced designs.
• Heading blocks now offer controls for text and background color.
• Additional style options allow you to set your preferred style for any block that supports this feature.

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Introducing Twenty Twenty

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Improvements for Everyone

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For Developers

The Squad

This release was led by Matt Mullenweg, Francesca Marano, and David Baumwald. They were enthusiastically supported by a large release squad:

• Editor Tech: Riad Benguella (@youknowriad)
• Editor Design: Mark Uraine (@mapk)
• Core Tech: Andrew Ozz (@azaozz)
• Docs Coordinator: Justin Ahinon (@justinahinon)
• Marketing/Release Comms: Mike Reid (@mikerbg)
• Media/Uploader: Mike Schroder (@mikeschroder)
• Accessibility: JB Audras (@audrasjb)
• Default Theme Wrangler: Ian Belanger (@ianbelanger)
• Default Theme Designer: Anders Norén (@anlino)

The squad was joined throughout the twelve week release cycle by 645 generous volunteer contributors (our largest group of contributors to date) who collectively fixed 658 bugs.

Put on a Rahsaan Roland Kirk playlist, click that update button (or download it directly), and check the profiles of the fine folks that helped:

123host, 1994rstefan, 5hel2l2y, @irsdl, Aaron D. Campbell, Aaron Jorbin, Aashish S, Abhijit Rakas, abrightclearweb, acalfieri, acosmin, Adam Silverstein, Adam Soucie, Adhitya Rachman, Ahmad Awais, Ajay Ghaghretiya, Ajit Bohra, Akira Tachibana, Albert Juhé Lluveras, albertomake, Alex Concha, Alex Dimitrov, Alex Lende, Alex Lion, Alex Mills, Alex Sanford, Alexander Botteram, Alexandre D'Eschambeault, Alexandru Vornicescu, alexeyskr, alextran, Ali Ayubi, allancole, Allen Snook, Alvaro Gois dos Santos, Amanda Rush, Amol Vhankalas, Anantajit JG, Anders Norén, Andrea Fercia, Andrea Gandino, Andrea Grillo, Andrea Middleton, Andreas Brain, Andrei Draganescu, Andrew Duthie, Andrew Nacin, Andrew Nevins, Andrew Ozz, Andrew Taylor, Andrey Savchenko, Andrés Maneiro, Andy Fragen, Andy Meerwaldt, Angela Gibson, Anh Tran, anischarolia, Anja Deubzer, Ankit Gade, Anthony Burchell, Anton Timmermans, Apermo, Arafat Rahman, Aravind Ajith, archon810, arena, Ari Stathopoulos, Arun, Asad Shahbaz, asadkn, Ashar Irfan, ashwinpc, Aslam Shekh, Ate Up With Motor, atlasmahesh, au87, Aubrey Portwood, augustuswm, Aurooba Ahmed, Avina Patel, Axel DUCORON, Ayesh Karunaratne, backermann1978, Bappi, Bartosz Romanowski, Bego Mario Garde, Benjamin Intal, Benjamin Zekavica, bennemann, bgermann, Bhaktii Rajdev, bibliofille, Biranit, Birgir Erlendsson, bitcomplex, BjornW, boblinthorst, Boga86, Boone Gorges, Boro Sitnikovski, Bradley Jacobs, Bradley Taylor, Brandon Kraft, Brent Swisher, bronsonquick, bsetiawan88, Burhan Nasir, Carlos Bravo, Carolina Nymark, Cathi Bosco, Chandra Patel, Charlie Merland, Chetan Prajapati, Chetan Satasiya, Chico, Chintan hingrajiya, ChriCo, Chris Aprea, Chris Van Patten, Christian Chung, Christian Wach, christianoliff, Christoph Herr, cleancoded, cmagrin, CompileNix, Corey Salzano, courtney0burton, Cristiano Zanca, Csaba (LittleBigThings), Cătălin Dogaru, D.S. Webster, Dademaru, daleharrison, Dan Foley, Dan Jones, DanBUK, Daniel Bachhuber, Daniel Iser, Daniel Jalkut (Red Sweater), Daniel Llewellyn, Daniel Richards, Daniele Scasciafratte, danieltj, daniloercoli, Danny van Kooten, Darren Ethier, darthhexx, Dave Parker, Dave Smith, Dave Whitley, davetgreen, David Aguilera, David Anderson, David Binovec, David Decker, David Herrera, David Rozando, David Shanske, david.binda, daxelrod, dd32, Debabrata Karfa, Deni, Denis Cherniavsky, Denis Yanchevskiy, Dennis, Dennis Hipp, Dennis Snell, Derek Sifford, dfangstrom, Dharmin Shah, Dhaval kasavala, dhuyvetter, Diane Co, DiedeExterkate, Diego La Monica, digitalapps, Dilip Bheda, Dima, dingo-d, Dixita Dusara, Dominik Schilling, Dr. Ronny Harbich, Drew Jaynes, Dukex, dushanthi, ecotechie, eden159, Edi Amin, Eduardo Toledo, ehtis, Ella van Durpe, Ella van Durpe, Elliot Condon, Emerson Maningo, Emil Dotsev, Emil Uzelac, Emmanuel Hesry, Enrique Piqueras, Enrique Sánchez, erikkroes, Estela Rueda, evalarumbe, faazshift, Fabian, Fabian Kägy, fblaser, Felipe Elia, Felix Arntz, Fencer04, flaviozavan, flipkeijzer, Florian TIAR, Foysal Remon, Gal Baras, Garrett Hyder, Garth Mortensen, Gary Jones, Gary Pendergast, Gaurang Dabhi, gchtr, Gennady Kovshenin, Gesundheit Bewegt GmbH, ghoul, girlieworks, Glauber Mota, Glenn, GravityView, gregsullivan, Grzegorz Ziółkowski, Grzegorz.Janoszka, gwwar, Hardeep Asrani, Hardik Thakkar, Hareesh, Hareesh Pillai, harryfear, harshbarach, He Yifei, Helen Hou-Sandi, Henry Wright, herbmiller, Herre Groen, hirofumi2012, HKandulla, Howdy_McGee, hoythan, Hugh Lashbrooke, Ian Belanger, Ian Dunn, ianmjones, Iceable, Igor Zinovyev, Imran Sayed, intimez, Ipstenu (Mika Epstein), iqbalbary, Irene Strikkers, Isabel Brison, Ismail El Korchi, ispreview, J.D. Grimes, jagirbaheshwp, Jake Spurlock, Jalpa Panchal, James Huff, James Koster, James Nylen, jameslnewell, janak Kaneriya, Janki Moradiya, janw.oostendorp, jared_smith, jarocks, Jarret, Jasper van der Meer, jave.web, javorszky, Jay Swadas, Jaydip, Jean-Baptiste Audras, Jeff Farthing, Jeff Ong, Jeff Paul, jeichorn, Jen Miller, jenkoian, Jer Clarke, Jeremy Felt, Jesper van Engelen, Jessica Lyschik, jikamens, Jip Moors, jitendrabanjara1991, jkitchen, jmmathc, joakimsilfverberg, Job, jodamo5, Joe Dolson, Joe Hoyle, Joe McGill, Joen Asmussen, John Blackbourn, John James Jacoby, John Regan, jojotjebaby, Jonathan Champ, Jonathan Davis, Jonathan Desrosiers, Jonathan Goldford, Jonny Harris, Jono Alderson, Joost de Valk, Jorge Bernal, Jorge Costa, Joseph Scott, Josepha Haden, Josh Pollock, Joshua Noyce, JoshuaWold, Joy, jsnajdr, Juanfra Aldasoro, Juhi Patel, Julian Weiland, Juliette Reinders Folmer, Julio Potier, junktrunk, justdaiv, Justin Ahinon, Justin Tadlock, K. Adam White, kafleg, Kailey (trepmal), Kakshak Kalaria, Kamran Khorsandi, Kantari Samy, karlgroves, katielgc, kbrownkd, Kelly Dwan, Kelly Hoffman, Kerfred, kero, ketanumretiya030, kevIN kovaDIA, Kharis Sulistiyono, killerbishop, killua99, Kite, Kjell Reigstad, Knut Sparhell, kokers, Konstantin Obenland, Konstantinos Xenos, kuus, kyliesabra, laurelfulford, lbenicio, leogermani, leonblade, lessbloat, lisota, lllor, lordlod, LoreleiAurora, Luan Ramos, luciano-croce, luigipulcini, luisherranz, lukaswaudentio, Luke, Luke Carbis, Luke Cavanagh, m1tk00, maartenleenders, maciejmackowiak, Mahesh Waghmare, Maje Media LLC, malthert, Manuel Augustin, Manuel Canga, Manzoor Wani, marcelo2605, MarcGuay, Marcin Pietrzak, Marco Martins, MarcosAlexandre, Marcus Kazmierczak, Marek Hrabe, Marie Comet, Mario Aguiar, Mario Peshev, Marius Jensen, Mark D Wolinski, Mark Jaquith, Mark Uraine, Marko Heijnen, Martin Spatovaliyski, Martin Splitt, Marty Helmick, Mary Baum, Mat Gargano, Mat Lipe, Mathieu Viet, Matt Chowning, Matthew Boynes, Matthew Haines-Young, matthias.thiel, mattyrob, Matías Ventura, Maxime Culea, Maxime Jobin, maxme, mayanksonawat, mchavezi, Md Abdur Razzaq Masum, Meet Makadia, Mehidi Hassan, Mehul Kaklotar, Mel Choyce, Melin Edomwonyi, meloniq, Michael Arestad, Michael Babker, Michael Nelson, Michael Panaga, michel.weimerskirch, Michiel Heijmans, miette49, Miguel Fonseca, miguelvieira, mihaiiceyro, mihdan, Miina Sikk, Mikael Korpela, Mike Auteri, Mike Glendinning, Mike Hansen, Mike Jolley, Mike Reid, Mike Schroder, MikeNGarrett, Mikko Saari, Milan Dinić, Milan Petrovic, Mobeen Abdullah, Mohsin Rasool, Monika Rao, Monique Dubbelman, Morgan Kay, Morten Rand-Hendriksen, Morteza Geransayeh, moto hachi, mppfeiffer, mrmadhat, msaggiorato, mtias, Muhammad Afzal, Mukesh Panchal, munyagu, mzorz, nadir, Nahid Ferdous Mohit, Naveen Kharwar, Nayana Maradia, Ned Zimmerman, Neel Patel, Nextendweb, NextScripts, Niall Kennedy, Nick Daugherty, Nick Halsey, Nicky Lim, nicolad, Nicolas Juen, Niels de Blaauw, Niels Lange, Nikhil Chavan, nikolastoqnow, Niku Hietanen, Nilambar Sharma, Nishit Langaliya, Nitish Kaila, nmenescardi, Noah Allen, notnownikki, noyle, Okamoto Hidetaka, Olaf Lindström, Omaar Osmaan, Omar Reiss, onlanka, Ov3rfly, oxyc, ozmatflc, Paal Joachim Romdahl, palmiak, Paragon Initiative Enterprises, Paresh Shinde, Parmar Hardip, Pascal Birchler, Pascal Casier, patilvikasj, Patrick Baldwin, Paul Bearne, Paul Biron, Paul Schreiber, Paul Vincent Beigang, Pedro Mendonça, pepe, Peter Wilson, PhillipJohn, Pierre Gordon, pikamander2, Pilar Mera, Pinar Olguc, powerbuoy, Pramod Jodhani, Pratik, Pratik K. Yadav, Prem Tiwari, Presskopp, Priyank Patel, Quantumstate, Raaj Trambadia, Raam Dev, raboodesign, Rachel Peter, Rahul Vaza, Ramanan, Rami Yushuvaev, ramon fincken, RC Lations, rebasaurus, ReikoDD, Remco Tolsma, retrofox, Riad Benguella, Ricard Torres, Richard Korthuis, Riddhi Mehta, Rishabh Budhiraja, Robert Anderson, Robert Chapin, Robert Ivanov, rogueresearch, Roi Conde, Roland Murg, Ronak Ganatra, Roy Randolph, Roy Tanck, Rua Haszard, Ryan Boren, Ryan Kienstra, Ryan McCue, Ryan Welcher, Sébastien Gastard, Sébastien SERRE, samgordondev, Sami Ahmed Siddiqui, Samir Shah, Samuel Wood (Otto), SamuelFernandez, Sanket Mehta, sarah semark, Sarath AR, saskak, Sathiyamoorthy V, sbardian, Scott Reilly, Scott Taylor, scvleon, Sebastian Pisula, Seghir Nadir, Sergey Biryukov, Sergey Predvoditelev, Sergio de Falco, sergiomdgomes, seuser, Shady Sharaf, Shamim Hasan, Sharaz Shahid, Shashank Panchal, shawfactor, Shital Marakana, siliconforks, simonjanin, simono, sinatrateam, sirreal, Sixes, Slava Abakumov, Slobodan Manic, smerriman, snapfractalpop, socalchristina, Soren Wrede, Spectacula, Spenser Hale, spuds10, Stanimir Stoyanov, steevithak, Stefano Minoia, Stefanos Togoulidis, Stephen Bernhardt, Stephen Edgar, Steve Dufresne, Steven Word, studyboi, Subrata Mal, Subrata Sarkar, Sudhir Yadav, Sultan Nasir Uddin, sun, Suzen Fylke, svanhal, Swapnil V. Patil, swapnild, Sybre Waaijer, Sérgio Estêvão, Takayuki Miyauchi, Takis Bouyouris, Tammie Lister, Tanvirul Haque, tazotodua, technote, Tellyworth, Tessa Kriesel, them.es, Themezly, Thijs Hulshof, Thomas Kräftner, thomaswm, Thord D. Hedengren, Thorsten Frommen, Thrijith Thankachan, tigertech, Tim Carr, Tim Havinga, Tim Hengeveld, timon33, Timothée Brosille, Timothy Jacobs, timph, tmatsuur, tmdesigned, TobiasBg, tobifjellner (Tor-Bjorn Fjellner), toddhalfpenny, Todor Gaidarov, Tom J Nowell, Tommy Ferry, Toni Viemerö, tonybogdanov, torres126, Torsten Landsiedel, Towhidul Islam, Travis Northcutt, travisseitler, triplejumper12, truchot, truongwp, Tugdual de Kerviler, Tung Du, Udit Desai, Ulrich, Utsav tilava, Vaishali Panchal, vbaimas, Veminom, Venutius, Viktor Veljanovski, Vishal Kakadiya, Vishit Shah, vladlu, Vladut Ilie, vortfu, Vova Feldman, vrimill, w3rkjana, waleedt93, webcommsat AbhaNonStopNewsUK, Webdados (Marco Almeida), WebMan Design | Oliver Juhas, Weston Ruter, William Earnhardt, William P. Davis, William Patton, withinboredom, worldweb, yanngarcia, Yannicki, yarnboy, Yashar, Yoav Farhi, yodiyo, Yui, Yvette Sonneveld, zaantar, Zack Tollman, zalak151291, Zebulan Stanphill, Česlav Przywara, Айрат Халитов🔥, and 水野史土.

Many thanks to all of the community volunteers who contribute in the support forums. They answer questions from people across the world, whether they are using WordPress for the first time or since the first release. These releases are more successful for their efforts!

Finally, thanks to all the community translators who worked on WordPress 5.3. Their efforts bring WordPress fully translated to 47 languages at release time, with more on the way.

If you want to learn more about volunteering with WordPress, check out Make WordPress or the core development blog.

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Thanks for choosing WordPress!