Tech News 2026 - Issue 31

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*Updates for editors*

   - Content Translation
   <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/ContentTranslation> n=
ow
   supports dark mode, fulfilling a Community Wishlist request
   <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Community_Wishlist/W544>. This brings
   the tool in line with the accessibility features available in the Vector
   2022 and Minerva skins, helping reduce visual fatigue for users translat=
ing
   content. [1] <https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T367077>
   - DiscussionTools' source mode and the 2017 wikitext editor will now
   offer autocomplete for links ([[), templates ({{), HTML and parser tags =
(
   <), and magic words (__), making it quicker and easier to insert links,
   templates, and other wiki markup while editing. [2]
   <https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T432400>
   - The Readers Growth team
   <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader_Growth=
/Mobile_page_previews>
has
   concluded its experiment with mobile page previews and will not roll out
   the feature. Page Previews are a pop-up bottom sheet that appears when
   readers tap a blue link, showing a thumbnail, lead paragraph, and an opt=
ion
   to open the article. The experiment showed flat retention and negative
   indicator metrics, suggesting that mobile web readers preferred navigati=
ng
   directly to linked articles rather than using page previews.
   - The Reader Experience team has seen encouraging early results
from the Reading
   Lists feature
   <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader_Experi=
ence/Reading_lists>,
   with 93% of participating users reporting that it was useful. Reading Li=
sts
   help active readers save articles for future reading and support their
   learning goals on Wikimedia projects. The team plans further improvement=
s
   before expanding the feature to more users.
   - The Explore Feed Refresh
   <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Apps/Team/E=
xplore_Feed_Refresh>
initiative
   was tested with new and casual Wikipedia app readers. The refreshed feed
   helps readers discover new and relevant content. After a 10.5% increase =
in
   engagement with the feed, Wikimedia Apps team has decided to scale the H=
ome
   Feed redesign to iOS with the learnings from the Android release applied=
.
   - View all 23 community-submitted tasks that were resolved last week
   <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently_r=
esolved_community_tasks>.
   For example, an issue where subject names in the Article Guidance featur=
e
   were displayed with incorrect capitalization on French Wikipedia, has no=
w
   been fixed. Subject names will now follow the correct capitalization rul=
es
   for the language. [3] <https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T427201>

*Updates for technical contributors*

   - After running several Account Creation Experiments
   <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Contributors/Account_=
Creation_Experiments>
to
   improve registration completion rates, a new version of the username fie=
ld
   on Create Account
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CreateAccount> has
   been rolled out. It includes a popover summarizing the username policy
   <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Create_account_-_July_2026_upda=
tes.png>
to
   provide clearer guidance during account creation. As part of this change=
,
   the messages createacct-helpusername and createacct-username-help that
   several communities have configured will no longer be used. If communiti=
es
   want to customize the guidance shown in the new popover, they can instea=
d
   edit the following messages: createacct-username-policy-popover-bullet1,
   createacct-username-policy-popover-bullet2, and
   createacct-username-policy-popover-bullet3. [4]
   <https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T430604>
   - Later this week, the CodeMirror syntax highlighter
   <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMi=
rror>
will
   offer themes <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Theme_(computing)>. The
   themes can be picked from a dropdown menu in the full CodeMirror
   preferences
   <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMi=
rror#CodeMirror_preferences>
dialog.
   For wikitext, available themes are default, colorblind-friendly (previou=
sly
   the colorblind preference option on
   Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing
   <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-edit=
ing>)
   and no-highlighting. For code languages (i.e.,
   CSS/JavaScript/JSON/Vue/Lua), there are several themes available. These
   same themes will eventually be available for wikitext, too. [5]
   <https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T163533>
   - From now on, wikis can restrict editing in the "User" namespace to
   only the page owner and certain user groups. Read the configuration
   documentation
   <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Manual:$wgRestrictUse=
rPageEditing>
to
   learn more.
   - Detailed code updates later this week: MediaWiki
   <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_1.47/wmf.14>

*Tech news
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News> prepared
by Tech News writers
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers> and
posted by bot
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/User:MediaWiki_message_=
delivery>
=E2=80=A2 Contribute
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News#contribute>
=E2=80=A2 Translate
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/31> =E2=
=80=A2 Get
help <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Tech> =E2=80=A2 Give feedback
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Tech/News> =E2=80=A2 Subscribe or uns=
ubscribe
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambas=
sadors>.*

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div><p style=3D"margin:0.5em 0px 1em;color:rgb(32,33,34);=
font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px"><b>Updates for editors</b></p><ul st=
yle=3D"padding:0px;color:rgb(32,33,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14p=
x"><li style=3D"margin-bottom:0.1em"><a href=3D"https://www.mediawiki.org/w=
iki/Special:MyLanguage/ContentTranslation" class=3D"extiw" title=3D"mw:Spec=
ial:MyLanguage/ContentTranslation" style=3D"text-decoration:none;color:rgb(=
51,102,204);background:none;border-radius:2px">Content Translation</a>=C2=
=A0now supports dark mode, fulfilling a=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://meta.wikime=
dia.org/wiki/Community_Wishlist/W544" class=3D"extiw" title=3D"m:Community =
Wishlist/W544" style=3D"text-decoration:none;color:rgb(51,102,204);backgrou=
nd:none;border-radius:2px">Community Wishlist request</a>. This brings the =
tool in line with the accessibility features available in the Vector 2022 a=
nd Minerva skins, helping reduce visual fatigue for users translating conte=
nt.=C2=A0<a class=3D"external gmail-autonumber" href=3D"https://phabricator=
.wikimedia.org/T367077" target=3D"_blank" rel=3D"noopener noreferrer" style=
=3D"text-decoration:none;color:rgb(51,102,204);border-radius:2px;background=
:none;padding:0px">[1]</a></li><li style=3D"margin-bottom:0.1em">Discussion=
Tools&#39; source mode and the 2017 wikitext editor will now offer autocomp=
lete for links (<code style=3D"font-family:monospace,monospace;background-c=
olor:rgb(248,249,250);color:rgb(16,20,24);border:0.909091px solid rgb(218,2=
21,227);border-radius:2px;padding:1px 4px">[[</code>), templates (<code sty=
le=3D"font-family:monospace,monospace;background-color:rgb(248,249,250);col=
or:rgb(16,20,24);border:0.909091px solid rgb(218,221,227);border-radius:2px=
;padding:1px 4px">{{</code>), HTML and parser tags (<code style=3D"font-fam=
ily:monospace,monospace;background-color:rgb(248,249,250);color:rgb(16,20,2=
4);border:0.909091px solid rgb(218,221,227);border-radius:2px;padding:1px 4=
px">&lt;</code>), and magic words (<code style=3D"font-family:monospace,mon=
ospace;background-color:rgb(248,249,250);color:rgb(16,20,24);border:0.90909=
1px solid rgb(218,221,227);border-radius:2px;padding:1px 4px">__</code>), m=
aking it quicker and easier to insert links, templates, and other wiki mark=
up while editing.=C2=A0<a class=3D"external gmail-autonumber" href=3D"https=
://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T432400" target=3D"_blank" rel=3D"noopener nor=
eferrer" style=3D"text-decoration:none;color:rgb(51,102,204);border-radius:=
2px;background:none;padding:0px">[2]</a></li><li style=3D"margin-bottom:0.1=
em">The=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/R=
eaders/Reader_Growth/Mobile_page_previews" class=3D"extiw" title=3D"mw:Spec=
ial:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Growth/Mobile page previews" style=3D"text-de=
coration:none;color:rgb(51,102,204);background:none;border-radius:2px">Read=
ers Growth team</a>=C2=A0has concluded its experiment with mobile page prev=
iews and will not roll out the feature. Page Previews are a pop-up bottom s=
heet that appears when readers tap a blue link, showing a thumbnail, lead p=
aragraph, and an option to open the article. The experiment showed flat ret=
ention and negative indicator metrics, suggesting that mobile web readers p=
referred navigating directly to linked articles rather than using page prev=
iews.</li><li style=3D"margin-bottom:0.1em">The Reader Experience team has =
seen encouraging early results from the=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.mediawi=
ki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader_Experience/Reading_lists" cla=
ss=3D"extiw" title=3D"mw:Special:MyLanguage/Readers/Reader Experience/Readi=
ng lists" style=3D"text-decoration:none;color:rgb(51,102,204);background:no=
ne;border-radius:2px">Reading Lists feature</a>, with 93% of participating =
users reporting that it was useful. Reading Lists help active readers save =
articles for future reading and support their learning goals on Wikimedia p=
rojects. The team plans further improvements before expanding the feature t=
o more users.</li><li style=3D"margin-bottom:0.1em">The=C2=A0<a href=3D"htt=
ps://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Apps/Team/Explore_=
Feed_Refresh" class=3D"extiw" title=3D"mw:Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia Apps=
/Team/Explore Feed Refresh" style=3D"text-decoration:none;color:rgb(51,102,=
204);background:none;border-radius:2px">Explore Feed Refresh</a>=C2=A0initi=
ative was tested with new and casual Wikipedia app readers. The refreshed f=
eed helps readers discover new and relevant content. After a 10.5% increase=
 in engagement with the feed, Wikimedia Apps team has decided to scale the =
Home Feed redesign to iOS with the learnings from the Android release appli=
ed.</li><li style=3D"margin-bottom:0.1em">View all 23 community-submitted t=
asks that were=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLa=
nguage/Tech/News/Recently_resolved_community_tasks" class=3D"extiw" title=
=3D"m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Recently resolved community tasks" style=
=3D"text-decoration:none;color:rgb(51,102,204);background:none;border-radiu=
s:2px">resolved last week</a>. For example, an issue where subject names in=
 the Article Guidance feature were displayed with incorrect capitalization =
on French Wikipedia, has now been fixed. Subject names will now follow the =
correct capitalization rules for the language.=C2=A0<a class=3D"external gm=
ail-autonumber" href=3D"https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T427201" target=
=3D"_blank" rel=3D"noopener noreferrer" style=3D"text-decoration:none;color=
:rgb(51,102,204);border-radius:2px;background:none;padding:0px">[3]</a></li=
></ul><p style=3D"margin:0.5em 0px 1em;color:rgb(32,33,34);font-family:sans=
-serif;font-size:14px"><b>Updates for technical contributors</b></p><ul sty=
le=3D"padding:0px;color:rgb(32,33,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px=
"><li style=3D"margin-bottom:0.1em">After running several=C2=A0<a href=3D"h=
ttps://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Contributors/Account_Creat=
ion_Experiments" class=3D"extiw" title=3D"mw:Special:MyLanguage/Contributor=
s/Account Creation Experiments" style=3D"text-decoration:none;color:rgb(51,=
102,204);background:none;border-radius:2px">Account Creation Experiments</a=
>=C2=A0to improve registration completion rates, a new version of the usern=
ame field on=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Create=
Account" title=3D"Special:CreateAccount" style=3D"text-decoration:none;colo=
r:rgb(51,102,204);background:none;border-radius:2px">Create Account</a>=C2=
=A0has been rolled out. It includes=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://commons.wikimed=
ia.org/wiki/File:Create_account_-_July_2026_updates.png" class=3D"extiw" ti=
tle=3D"c:File:Create account - July 2026 updates.png" style=3D"text-decorat=
ion:none;color:rgb(51,102,204);background:none;border-radius:2px">a popover=
 summarizing the username policy</a>=C2=A0to provide clearer guidance durin=
g account creation. As part of this change, the messages=C2=A0<code style=
=3D"font-family:monospace,monospace;background-color:rgb(248,249,250);color=
:rgb(16,20,24);border:0.909091px solid rgb(218,221,227);border-radius:2px;p=
adding:1px 4px">createacct-helpusername</code>=C2=A0and=C2=A0<code style=3D=
"font-family:monospace,monospace;background-color:rgb(248,249,250);color:rg=
b(16,20,24);border:0.909091px solid rgb(218,221,227);border-radius:2px;padd=
ing:1px 4px">createacct-username-help</code>=C2=A0that several communities =
have configured will no longer be used. If communities want to customize th=
e guidance shown in the new popover, they can instead edit the following me=
ssages:=C2=A0<code style=3D"font-family:monospace,monospace;background-colo=
r:rgb(248,249,250);color:rgb(16,20,24);border:0.909091px solid rgb(218,221,=
227);border-radius:2px;padding:1px 4px">createacct-username-policy-popover-=
bullet1</code>,=C2=A0<code style=3D"font-family:monospace,monospace;backgro=
und-color:rgb(248,249,250);color:rgb(16,20,24);border:0.909091px solid rgb(=
218,221,227);border-radius:2px;padding:1px 4px">createacct-username-policy-=
popover-bullet2</code>, and=C2=A0<code style=3D"font-family:monospace,monos=
pace;background-color:rgb(248,249,250);color:rgb(16,20,24);border:0.909091p=
x solid rgb(218,221,227);border-radius:2px;padding:1px 4px">createacct-user=
name-policy-popover-bullet3</code>.=C2=A0<a class=3D"external gmail-autonum=
ber" href=3D"https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T430604" target=3D"_blank" r=
el=3D"noopener noreferrer" style=3D"text-decoration:none;color:rgb(51,102,2=
04);border-radius:2px;background:none;padding:0px">[4]</a></li><li style=3D=
"margin-bottom:0.1em">Later this week, the=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.medi=
awiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror" class=3D"extiw=
" title=3D"mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror" style=3D"text-d=
ecoration:none;color:rgb(51,102,204);background:none;border-radius:2px">Cod=
eMirror syntax highlighter</a>=C2=A0will offer=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://en.w=
ikipedia.org/wiki/en:Theme_(computing)" class=3D"extiw" title=3D"w:en:Theme=
 (computing)" style=3D"text-decoration:none;color:rgb(51,102,204);backgroun=
d:none;border-radius:2px">themes</a>. The themes can be picked from a dropd=
own menu in the full=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special=
:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror#CodeMirror_preferences" class=3D"exti=
w" title=3D"mw:Special:MyLanguage/Help:Extension:CodeMirror" style=3D"text-=
decoration:none;color:rgb(51,102,204);background:none;border-radius:2px">Co=
deMirror preferences</a>=C2=A0dialog. For wikitext, available themes are de=
fault, colorblind-friendly (previously the colorblind preference option on=
=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Preferences#mw-pre=
fsection-editing" title=3D"Special:Preferences" style=3D"text-decoration:no=
ne;color:rgb(51,102,204);background:none;border-radius:2px">Special:Prefere=
nces#mw-prefsection-editing</a>) and no-highlighting. For code languages (i=
.e., CSS/JavaScript/JSON/Vue/Lua), there are several themes available. Thes=
e same themes will eventually be available for wikitext, too.=C2=A0<a class=
=3D"external gmail-autonumber" href=3D"https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T1=
63533" target=3D"_blank" rel=3D"noopener noreferrer" style=3D"text-decorati=
on:none;color:rgb(51,102,204);border-radius:2px;background:none;padding:0px=
">[5]</a></li><li style=3D"margin-bottom:0.1em">From now on, wikis can rest=
rict editing in the &quot;User&quot; namespace to only the page owner and c=
ertain user groups.=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:=
MyLanguage/Manual:$wgRestrictUserPageEditing" class=3D"extiw" title=3D"mw:S=
pecial:MyLanguage/Manual:$wgRestrictUserPageEditing" style=3D"text-decorati=
on:none;color:rgb(51,102,204);background:none;border-radius:2px">Read the c=
onfiguration documentation</a>=C2=A0to learn more.</li><li style=3D"margin-=
bottom:0.1em">Detailed code updates later this week:=C2=A0<a href=3D"https:=
//www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_1.47/wmf.14" class=3D"extiw" title=3D"mw=
:MediaWiki 1.47/wmf.14" style=3D"text-decoration:none;color:rgb(51,102,204)=
;background:none;border-radius:2px">MediaWiki</a></li></ul><p style=3D"marg=
in:0.5em 0px 1em;color:rgb(32,33,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px"=
><i><b><a href=3D"https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Tech/N=
ews" class=3D"extiw" title=3D"m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News" style=3D"text=
-decoration:none;color:rgb(51,102,204);background:none;border-radius:2px">T=
ech news</a></b>=C2=A0prepared by=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://meta.wikimedia.or=
g/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers" class=3D"extiw" title=3D"m:Spe=
cial:MyLanguage/Tech/News/Writers" style=3D"text-decoration:none;color:rgb(=
51,102,204);background:none;border-radius:2px">Tech News writers</a>=C2=A0a=
nd posted by=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLang=
uage/User:MediaWiki_message_delivery" class=3D"extiw" title=3D"m:Special:My=
Language/User:MediaWiki message delivery" style=3D"text-decoration:none;col=
or:rgb(51,102,204);background:none;border-radius:2px">bot</a>=C2=A0=E2=80=
=A2=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Tech=
/News#contribute" class=3D"extiw" title=3D"m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News" =
style=3D"text-decoration:none;color:rgb(51,102,204);background:none;border-=
radius:2px">Contribute</a>=C2=A0=E2=80=A2=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://meta.wiki=
media.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/31" class=3D"extiw" title=
=3D"m:Special:MyLanguage/Tech/News/2026/31" style=3D"text-decoration:none;c=
olor:rgb(51,102,204);background:none;border-radius:2px">Translate</a>=C2=A0=
=E2=80=A2=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Tech" class=3D"ex=
tiw" title=3D"" style=3D"text-decoration:none;color:rgb(51,102,204);backgro=
und:none;border-radius:2px">Get help</a>=C2=A0=E2=80=A2=C2=A0<a href=3D"htt=
ps://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Tech/News" class=3D"extiw" title=3D"" sty=
le=3D"text-decoration:none;color:rgb(51,102,204);background:none;border-rad=
ius:2px">Give feedback</a>=C2=A0=E2=80=A2=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://meta.wiki=
media.org/wiki/Global_message_delivery/Targets/Tech_ambassadors" class=3D"e=
xtiw" title=3D"" style=3D"text-decoration:none;color:rgb(51,102,204);backgr=
ound:none;border-radius:2px">Subscribe or unsubscribe</a>.</i></p></div><di=
v><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_signature" data-smartmail=3D"gmail_signat=
ure"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div><div><font color=3D"#073763"><br></font></div></=
div></div></div></div></div>

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