How to Disable Automatic Theme Updates

Learn how to disable automatic theme updates with this code snippet. Prevent unwanted changes by turning off auto-updates for your WordPress themes.

//Disable all updates
add_filter('automatic_updater_disabled','__return_true');

//Disable theme updates
add_filter('auto_update_theme','__return_false');

Quick Steps to Disable Automatic WordPress Theme Updates

Follow these simple steps to disable automatic theme updates:

1. Install and activate the WPCodeBox plugin, then navigate to WPCodeBox 2 in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Copy the code snippet above and paste it into the WPCodeBox code editor.
3. Give your snippet a descriptive title (like “Disable Theme Updates”), select PHP as the type, then click Save.
4. Enable the snippet by toggling the switch to the active position.
5. Verify the changes by checking that themes no longer show automatic update options in your WordPress admin.

That’s it! Automatic theme updates are now disabled on your WordPress site.

Disable WordPress Theme Updates – Additional Information

Why You Might Want to Disable Theme Updates

Theme updates can cause some serious headaches if you’re not prepared. The biggest issue is compatibility problems. When a theme updates automatically, it might not work well with your current plugins or WordPress version, which can break parts of your site or even crash it completely.

If you’ve made direct changes to your theme files, automatic updates will overwrite those customizations. This means all your hard work customizing colors, layouts, or features could disappear overnight. Updates also sometimes change features or designs in ways you don’t expect, potentially disrupting your site’s appearance or how it works.