Joomla 6.0 Has Arrived: Full Feature Breakdown, Timeline & Upgrade Guide

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If you're running a Joomla site, "Joomla 6.0 has arrived" is old news by now — the version has already moved through several patch and minor releases. This guide covers what Joomla 6.0 originally introduced, what has changed since (up through 6.1.2), whether you should upgrade now, and how to do it safely. Applies to Joomla 5.x and 6.x; last checked against Joomla 6.1.2 / 5.4.7.

What Is Joomla 6.0 and When Did It Launch?

Joomla 6.0 is a new major version of the Joomla content management system, released simultaneously with the Joomla 5.4 bridge release. Both were built entirely by volunteer contributors under the Joomla! Project (Open Source Matters, Inc.).

Detail	Value
Codename	Kuimarisha
Release date	October 14, 2025
Companion release	Joomla 5.4.0 "Kutegemea" (same day)
Development time	~2 years of volunteer development
Contributors (6.0.0)	32+ contributors, including 3 new contributors
Pull requests merged (6.0.0)	206+
Current stable version (as of this update)	Joomla 6.1.2, paired with Joomla 5.4.7

Key Features in Joomla 6.0 for Site Owners and Editors

Automatic Core Updates

Joomla 5.1 introduced TUF (The Update Framework) for secure updates. Joomla 5.4 and 6.0 build on that by adding automatic core updates: once enabled, the Joomla core updates itself without manual action, and Super Users are notified by email when an update completes.

Cassiopeia Child Template With Extended Customization

Joomla 6 ships with a Cassiopeia child template that adds more color and font-size options, so you can adjust the default frontend template's look without writing custom CSS.

Advanced Versioning (Now Includes Custom Fields)

Content versioning previously tracked database table fields only, which meant custom fields data was left out of version history. In Joomla 6, custom fields data is now included, so restoring an older version restores custom field values too.

Two New Custom Field Types

Joomla 6 adds a "Notes" field type for inserting instructional text between other custom fields, and a "Number" field type that supports optional currency formatting.

Smoother Frontend and Backend Transitions

Both the Cassiopeia (frontend) and Atum (backend) templates now use CSS transitions, making page-to-page navigation feel less abrupt.

Backward Compatibility 6 Plugin

The "Behaviour – Backward Compatibility 6" plugin, introduced in Joomla 5.4, ships enabled by default. On Joomla 5.4 it does nothing visible — but once you upgrade to Joomla 6, it prevents third-party extensions that depend on it from breaking the update.

What Changed Under the Hood for Developers

• New Date and Datetime fields — native HTML date and datetime-local input types are now available as built-in field types for forms and custom fields.
• TinyMCE 8.0.1 — the bundled editor jumps from version 6 to version 8, bringing bug fixes and notable accessibility improvements.
• Language file caching — a new caching layer for languageHelper::parseIniFile reduces the overhead of loading language strings on every request, which helps multilingual sites in particular.

Joomla 6 Release Timeline (Updated Through July 2026)

Joomla 6.0 wasn't a one-time event — the project has kept shipping bugfix, security, and minor releases on a steady cadence.

Version	Release date	Type
6.0.0 "Kuimarisha"	October 14, 2025	Major release
6.0.1	—	Bugfix (paired with 5.4.1)
6.0.2	January 6, 2026	Security & bugfix (paired with 5.4.2)
6.0.3	February 17, 2026	Bugfix (paired with 5.4.3)
6.0.4	March 31, 2026	Security & bugfix (paired with 5.4.4)
6.1.0 "Nyota"	April 14, 2026	Minor release — Proof-of-Work CAPTCHA, visual workflow editor, media custom fields for audio/video/documents (paired with 5.4.5)
6.1.1	May 26, 2026	Security & bugfix (paired with 5.4.6)
6.1.2	July 7, 2026	Security & bugfix — access-control hardening for media, custom fields, workflows, module management, and vCard downloads (paired with 5.4.7)

Looking ahead, the Joomla project has settled into roughly a six-month minor-release cadence: Joomla 6.2 is expected to reach Alpha 1 around late May 2026 with a stable release targeted for October 13, 2026. [CẦN BẠN XÁC NHẬN: xác nhận lại ngày 6.2 stable trước khi publish, vì lịch có thể thay đổi theo tiến độ volunteer]

Should You Upgrade to Joomla 6 Now?

Whether you need to upgrade immediately depends on which version you're running and how long your current branch will keep receiving patches.

Version	Functional + security support until	Security-only support until
Joomla 4.x	Ended October 14, 2025	No longer supported
Joomla 5.4.x	October 13, 2026	October 12, 2027
Joomla 6.x	October 17, 2028	October 16, 2029

If you're still on Joomla 4.x, your site is receiving no further security patches — that's the version to prioritize moving off first. If you're on Joomla 5.4, you're not at immediate risk, but you have a limited runway before functional support ends.

How to Upgrade to Joomla 6

The exact path depends on your starting version.

1. From Joomla 4.x: Follow the official 4.4.x → 5.x upgrade guide first, then proceed to the 5.4 → 6.0 path below. Joomla 4 upgrades are treated as a migration, not a simple upgrade.
2. From Joomla 5.x (not yet on 5.4): Update to Joomla 5.4.0 (or the latest 5.4.x patch) first. The built-in updater will then offer the 6.x upgrade path.
3. From Joomla 5.4: Upgrading to 6.x is treated as an upgrade, not a migration — most extensions work immediately as long as the "Behaviour – Backward Compatibility 6" plugin stays enabled.
4. Check your extensions: Use the Joomla Extensions Directory's version filter to confirm each installed extension has a Joomla 6–ready build, or one that's compatible via the backward-compatibility plugin.
5. Test on staging first: Run the upgrade on a staging copy of your site before touching production, and take a full backup either way.

FAQ

What is Joomla 6.0 and when was it released?

Joomla 6.0, codenamed "Kuimarisha," is a major CMS version released October 14, 2025, alongside the Joomla 5.4 bridge release, adding automatic core updates and a cleaner codebase.

Is going from Joomla 5.4 to 6.0 an upgrade or a migration?

It's treated as an upgrade, not a migration. Most extensions keep working as long as the "Behaviour – Backward Compatibility 6" plugin is enabled.

Can I still use Joomla 4?

You can, but Joomla 4 stopped receiving security updates on October 14, 2025, so running it on a live site carries increasing risk.

What's new in Joomla 6.1?

Joomla 6.1 ("Nyota"), released April 14, 2026, added a Proof-of-Work CAPTCHA, a visual workflow editor, and new media custom field types for audio, video, and documents.

Will my existing extensions work after upgrading to Joomla 6?

Extensions already updated for Joomla 6 will work directly. Older ones often still work thanks to the Backward Compatibility 6 plugin, but you should verify each one before upgrading production.

Do I need to update to 6.1.2 right away?

6.1.2 (July 7, 2026) is a security and bugfix release, so applying it promptly is recommended — especially the access-control fixes for media and custom fields.