Core update error

I am running PHP v5.7

there is NO php 5.7 it was never planned or released at all.

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Get a faster, more secure website: update PHP today

PHP 5.7 never existed. Please check what PHP version is running and confirm it’s above 5.6.22.

Additionally, it can’t make up a version number. If if says “You are running version 5.3.29”, then that is the version you are running.

Speak to your web host, and have them update you to at least PHP 7, or switch to a new hosting service.

PHP never issued a 5.7 release:
https://www.php.net/releases/index.php

Ask your host to send you a screenshot of the PHP version you are running / to provide you a link where you can see for yourself.
Most hosting panels allow you to see this somewhere, but exactly where depends on which panel they are using.

All the best!

Sorry folks, getting my numbers muddled up. I am running php v7.4 (Not 5.7) and can see this myself on my host’s control panel.

@otto42 Thanks – So you suspect if WP says one thing and my host control panel says another, it’s the host end where the version is displayed incorrectly?

If WordPress tells you the version, then it isn’t inventing it. It’s loading the PHP function that gives you the PHP version that is running, and then returning that to you. So yea, what WordPress tells you about the PHP version is correct, because WordPress is running in the PHP version that it is telling you about.

Things depend a bit on how your web hosting is set up. Even if your control panel says one version, you might have something in your file system that overrides it. Check files like .htaccess php.ini, etc for unexpected stuff.

@otto42 Thanks for clarifying. I’m afraid I still have no idea why WP is running an old version when my host claims I’m running the latest.

@tobifjellner Thanks – I checked and htaccess makes no mention of version and php.ini has all the core stuff enabled apart from display_errors, so I can’t see anything clearly overriding the php version used.

I’m afraid I still have no idea why WP is running an old version when my host claims I’m running the latest.

Yeah, well, the thing is that you’re probably going to have to ask them. I can’t see your hosting service panel or what it is showing you, and even if we could, we probably couldn’t give you any further information.

You need to contact your host via their support channels.

Hey,
There are many PHP errors like this one that might occur in the process of managing a WordPress site. In most of the cases, these errors are caused by outdated or unsupported PHP version. To ensure the best WordPress experience, it is highly recommended to use the last PHP version offered by your hosting provider, (which is 7.2 at the moment).
PHP versions 7.0 or older are no longer recommended due to various security measurements.

@bramfreeman If you would visit https://www.php.net/ then you’d immediately see that PHP 7.4.4 was released on March 19. Dig a bit deeper and you’ll find in https://www.php.net/supported-versions.php that PHP 7.2 will be out of support in 7 months from now (currently in security support).