I Do Not Have the Plugins “Enable Auto Update” Column

Addendum:

I just looked at one of the NEW sites and see that it suffers from the same deficiency – no Auto Updates column in the Installed Plugins panel.

Rhyme or Reason?

–PS

Do you have issues with free plugins or only the paid ones? I tried it on my locally hosted WordPress site, and it appears to be good and has an Automatic Updates column on the right side.

Are Automatic Updates selected in the Screen Options section? https://snipboard.io/yrPY8t.jpg If the answer is yes, and there is no
add_filter( 'auto_update_plugin', '__return_false' ); code in the wp-config.php file, then disable all plugins, enable a WordPress Twenty* theme and test again.

I wish this forum permitted attachments so I could drop in a screenshot of my problem.

“Do you have issues with free plugins or only the paid ones?”

The question misses the point: I am not given the option for ANY plugins. The “enable/disable” column in the Plugins panel does not appear. Which I could show you with a screenshot… ?????♂?

“Are Automatic Updates selected in the Screen Options section?”

That might be the right question… I suspect an option somewhere that is not selected. I see ‘Screen Options’ in the Plugins panel, but I do’t see “Automatic Updates” option. The ONLY option I see is “Description” and that is checked. So my Installed Plugins page has only two columns, “Plugin” and “Description”

I’d love to show you a screenshot… I just looked at the one barnez attached via snipboard. I can report I do NOT have the “Automatic Updates” option he shows. I supposed I could load a screenshot to snipboard but I’m burned out on new accounts and passwords right now.

The site I’m working with is waterstarproject.com WordPress is v6.1. I was running a Twenty Sixteen theme… tried updating to Twenty TwentyThree, but the result in the Plugin panels was the same, no ‘Automatic Updates’ option. So I switched it back.

So best I can guess is there is some universal setting I’m missing somewhere that came with the newer versions of WordPress??

Try to disable all plugins to rule out a plugin conflict.
Also check to ensure that define(‘AUTOMATIC_UPDATER_DISABLED’, true); is not set in wp-config.php.

“check to ensure that define(‘AUTOMATIC_UPDATER_DISABLED’, true); is not set in wp-config.php”

OK, progress! Did find that line in the wp-config.php file for one of the sites, deleted it, and voila, there’s the column for automatic updates.

I also have a bigger, older website (incorrigiblearts.com), also running WP v6.1 but with a ‘custom’ (purchased) theme, that is not showing the “automatic updates” in Screen Options, but that one does NOT have that line in the wp-config.php file.

Is there another place or command I can look for?

Thanks for hanging in there with me.

–PS

Progress!

If the wp-config.php file AND the functions.php file of the active theme on that older site are free of any associated rules, then the next step is to disable all plugins and activate a WordPress Twenty* theme to rule out a plugin or theme conflict. The Health Check plugin can help to do this without affecting the front end of the site, as only logged in users will see the changes. Also, check to see if there is a must-use plugin with custom rules in /wp-content/mu-plugins/ (to see its content or disable, you’ll need to use FTP or the file manager provided by the host).