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Review: Joomla 4.2

updated 21 October 2026

Joomla 4.2 "Uaminifu" replaced two-factor authentication with multi-factor authentication and brought keyboard shortcuts for the backend. For this review we installed Joomla 4.2.9 of 14 March 2023, the last version of this line, and photographed it.

Series "Joomla history" · minor version · part of the series: Review: Joomla 4.0 · back to Review: Joomla 4.1 · next: Review: Joomla 4.3

Released16 August 2022 (Joomla 4.2.0)
Last version4.2.9 of 14 March 2023 (10 versions)
Followed byJoomla 4.3 on 18 April 2023
RequirementsPHP from 7.2.5
TemplatesCassiopeia (default); Atum in the backend
Included in the installation228 extensions
End of supportEnd of Life: Joomla 4.x

What was new in Joomla 4.2

According to the Joomla 4.2 announcement:

  • Multi-factor authentication with YubiKey, Web Authentication, a code or a code by e-mail – as a step of its own after the password.
  • Nine keyboard shortcuts in the backend, pressed one after the other, such as J + F for the search; J + X lists them all.
  • Windows Hello for WebAuthn, table columns you can hide, fuzzy matching in Smart Search.
  • A package filter in the extension manager.
Joomla 4.2: Multi-factor authentication in the user profile
Multi-factor authentication in the user profile.
Joomla 4.2: J and then X: the list of keyboard shortcuts
J and then X: the list of keyboard shortcuts.
Joomla 4.2: The article list – columns can now be hidden
The article list – columns can now be hidden.

The installation

Joomla 4.2 installer: step 1
Step 1: language and site name.
Joomla 4.2 installer: step 2
Step 2: the Super User login.
Joomla 4.2 installer: step 3
Step 3: the database.
Joomla 4.2 installer: step 4
Step 4: the ownership check – Joomla asks you to delete a file in the "installation" folder.
Joomla 4.2 installer: step 5
Step 5: done.

The website

Joomla 4.2: home page
The freshly installed website with the sample data.
Joomla 4.2: Welcome to your blog
The page "Welcome to your blog".
Joomla 4.2: Blog
The page "Blog".
Joomla 4.2: Category List
The page "Category List".
Joomla 4.2: Typography
The page "Typography".
Joomla 4.2: Love
The page "Love".
Joomla 4.2: Login
The page "Login".
Joomla 4.2: Home
The home page on a smartphone.

The backend

Joomla 4.2: The backend login
The backend login.
Joomla 4.2: The Home Dashboard
The Home Dashboard.
Joomla 4.2: The
The "Content" menu.
Joomla 4.2: Editing an article with TinyMCE 5.10
Editing an article with TinyMCE 5.10.
Joomla 4.2: The categories
The categories.
Joomla 4.2: The items of the main menu
The items of the main menu.
Joomla 4.2: The modules of the website
The modules of the website.
Joomla 4.2: The plugins
The plugins.
Joomla 4.2: 228 extensions in a fresh installation
228 extensions in a fresh installation.
Joomla 4.2: The template styles
The template styles.
Joomla 4.2: The global configuration
The global configuration.
Joomla 4.2: The user groups
The user groups.
Joomla 4.2: The Media Manager
The Media Manager.
Joomla 4.2: The System Dashboard
The System Dashboard.
Joomla 4.2: System information – with PHP 8.1 from our test environment
System information – with PHP 8.1 from our test environment.
Joomla 4.2: Joomla Update
Joomla Update.

2022 and today

For comparison: the same views in a fresh Joomla 6.2.

Joomla 4.2.
2022Joomla 4.2.
Joomla 6.2.
2026Joomla 6.2.
Editing an article in 4.2.
2022Editing an article in 4.2.
Editing an article in 6.2.
2026Editing an article in 6.2.

All 10 versions of Joomla 4.2

According to the Joomla downloads:

  1. 4.2.016 Aug 2022
  2. 4.2.130 Aug 2022
  3. 4.2.22 Sep 2022
  4. 4.2.327 Sep 2022
  5. 4.2.425 Oct 2022
  6. 4.2.57 Nov 2022
  7. 4.2.612 Dec 2022
  8. 4.2.730 Jan 2023
  9. 4.2.816 Feb 2023
  10. 4.2.914 Mar 2023

Joomla 4 at a glance

VersionFirst releaseLast releaseVersions
Joomla 4.017 Aug 20214.0.6 · 18 Jan 20227
Joomla 4.115 Feb 20224.1.5 · 21 Jun 20226
Joomla 4.216 Aug 20224.2.9 · 14 Mar 202310
Joomla 4.318 Apr 20234.3.4 · 22 Aug 20235
Joomla 4.417 Oct 20234.4.14 · 30 Sep 202515

Is your website still on Joomla 4?

Joomla 4 has had no updates since 14 October 2025. The way to Joomla 6 leads via 4.4 and 5.4 – we take care of it, including a check of your extensions.

See Joomla update and migration

How we did it: Joomla 4.2.9 in the original package from downloads.joomla.org, locally in Docker with PHP 8.1 and MySQL 8.0, reachable only on our own machine, files unchanged, with the blog sample data. PHP error display is switched off so that notices about outdated functions do not cover the pictures. The red warning that our PHP is outdated only appears because we run the old version today – we closed it with its own button before taking the picture.

Sources: Joomla 4.2 announcement, Joomla downloads and our own screenshots. As of 21 October 2026.

All versions of Joomla 4

All parts of the series "Joomla history"

  1. Part 1: Joomla 1.0 (2005)
  2. Part 2: Joomla 1.5 (2008)
  3. Part 3: Joomla 2.5 (2012)
  4. Part 4: Joomla 3.0 (2012)
  5. Part 5: Joomla 4.0 (2021)
  6. Part 6: Joomla 5.0 (2023)
  7. Part 7: Joomla 6.0 (2025)
Ufuk Avcu

Owner and developer of the Joomla Agency. Has been building and looking after Joomla websites since 2009.

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