Because we are trying to make the difference between the last RC and the stable release as small as possible, we released today Joomla! 3.7.0 Release Candidate 4.

We invite our users to download and test the package in order to provide quality assurance for the forthcoming 3.7 release.
This release candidate is intended to be the last development version before the release of Joomla! 3.7.0 stable planned on April 25th, 2017.

What is this release for?

This is a RELEASE CANDIDATE release, that should only be used on test sites and can't be upgraded.

Extension and template developers, it’s your last chance to prepare your extensions for the stable release of Joomla! 3.7.0, though there shouldn't be any backward compatibility issues.
Users are encouraged to test the package for issues and to report them in the Joomla! CMS Issue Tracker.

When is the stable release due?

Joomla! 3.7 is planned to be released on April 25th 2017. Visit the Joomla! Developer site for the full roadmap.
Please note that dates may be subject to change depending on availability of volunteers and circumstances beyond our control.

Which bugs have been fixed in Joomla! 3.7?

A full list of issues resolved can be found on GitHub.

We recommend users of the Hathor Backend Template to switch to the Isis backend template, as Hathor has not been updated to work with the new features shipping with this release. Learn more at GitHub.

What’s new in Joomla 3.7

Here’s a quick look at the major new features* included in Joomla! 3.7:

• Custom Fields - 15 field types for your articles, users and contacts. Read the tutorial on JDocs
• Multilingual Associations Component - Translate your content easily from a single, unified interface. Read the tutorial on JDocs
• Improved Workflow - Create a category, article, and menu item all in one step from within the menu manager
• Backend Menu Manager - Manage the administrator menu just like the frontend, create a different configuration for each of your backend user groups
• Do more with TinyMCE - Including new buttons to easily add menu links and contacts and many other improvements
• Easier Extension Maintenance - Prevent administrators from accidentally uninstalling needed extension package elements
• User Experience - Your User Experience is improved thanks to the display of your global settings, a flatter backend template, the possibility to share sessions between apps...
• Want to know more? View the whole list of improvements here.

*All features are subject to change depending on the availability of volunteers and circumstances beyond our control.

Is your website ready for Joomla! 3.7?

Joomla! 3.7 will be a one-click update just like previous 3.x versions. If your site is not already running 3.6.5, we strongly urge you to update immediately. Joomla! 3.6.5 was a security release and your site is at risk if you are running a previous version.
As always, before upgrading it is important to update all of your third party extensions and also to take and test a full backup of your site.
This is also a great time to connect with your hosting company and check your PHP and database versions. We recommend upgrading to PHP 7 or 7.1 as it will bring a considerable speed boost to your site. Further system requirements can be found here.

How can I help?

Become a tester!
If you would like to help with testing to ensure we meet our release date, please download the latest pre-release of Joomla! 3.7 and install it on a development site for testing. You can download it here.

Help us Translate!
Speak another language? You can help to translate Joomla! 3.7 landing page at Crowdin here.

Share the news!
We have a wide range of teaser imagery available for sharing, which can be found here, as well as a teaser video here. We would love you to spread the Joomla! love and get the word out to your network.

Are you an extension developer?
If you haven’t already started, now is the time to start testing so that your components, modules and plugins are all ready in time for the stable release!

Are you a journalist, blogger or evangelist?
Please feel free to get in touch with the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for interviews and other content.

A Huge Thank You to Our Volunteers!

This Release Candidate is the result of thousands of hours of work by dozens of volunteers.
A big thank you goes out to everyone who contributed to the 3.7 release! Right now we count over 3,300 commits since 3.6.5's release!