In some cases it may be necessary to manually replace or update a theme that is already installed. The most common reasons to do this are:
- To restore a theme to its original state if edits were made (we recommend always using a child theme to make customizations)
- Automatic updates aren’t available or have failed
- On occasion, we may provide an updated version through support while troubleshooting issues
WordPress won’t let you install the same theme twice, so you will need to remove the existing version before it’s possible to install it again.
Before getting started, be sure you have the zip file for the theme you want to install.
- Go to Appearance → Themes in your WordPress admin panel
- Activate a different theme (one of the default Twenty XXXX themes works well)*
- Click the screenshot of the theme you want to update to open a popup with the theme’s details
- Click the Delete link in the lower right corner of the popup
Once you have deleted the old version, you can follow the instructions for installing a theme to upload and install the new version.
* Don’t worry, you won’t lose any content when switching themes.