PluginScout

WP Safe Mode

by Marcus (aka @msykes) · WordPress.org page · Website

v1.3 Tested up to WP 7.0.4 PHP 5.2.6+

WP Safe Mode has 2,000+ active installs on WordPress.org and 25,558 downloads all time. We have tracked it since September 4, 2026; download trends appear after 30 days of data. The last update was on May 23, 2026, tested up to WordPress 7.0.4.

WP Safe Mode at a glance

Active installs
2,000+
Total downloads
25,558
Downloads, last 30 days
available after 30 days of tracking
30-day growth
tracking since September 4, 2026

Is WP Safe Mode well maintained?

Support threads resolved
No open threads
nothing waiting on the WordPress.org forum
WordPress compatibility
Behind
tested up to WordPress 7.0.4, not yet with the current 7.1

Features

The feature list from the plugin's own readme on WordPress.org, trimmed to the essentials.

  • Enter Safe Mode for just yourself whilst logged in
  • Enable Safe Mode for the whole site
  • Admin Bar shortcuts for enabling/disabling Safe Mode
  • Restrict Safe Mode to certain IP addresses
  • Automatic installation (if file permissions allow)
  • Fallback to a default WordPress theme or one of your choice in Safe Mode
  • Prevent or allow Must-Use plugins from loading in Safe-Mode
  • Handy loader file via FTP when your site is completely inaccessible
  • MultiSite Support
  • MultiSite Site-Specific Safe Modes

WP Safe Mode reviews and ratings

8 reviews on WordPress.org, with the most recent ones as their authors posted them.

4.3 out of 5

8 reviews

5★
6
4★
0
3★
1
2★
0
1★
1
  • Makes debugging problems on complex sites a whole lot easier

    I run a few sites, most with 40+ plugins (eeek!). When a supplier says "disable all your plugins and retest the problem" I groan. This plugin makes it so easy to disable all plugins or just keep a couple of key ones activated. You can also just do it for your user, so it is possible to trouble shoot on a live site ... not recommended but sometimes you have no choice. Thanks Marcus for your work here, it's a great contribution to the WP community.

    colinfroggatt
  • Absolutely helpful

    Resolving conflicts is never fun, but this plugin makes it as easy as possible. There is not much more to say about it – it just works. Thanks for developing this!

    Martin Sauter
  • Works great

    mkovcu
  • Huge Thanks save my network site

    My network site crashed and couldn't find the problem. I've installed the plugin managed to access the crashed network admin site disabled all plugins and themes, found the error, and all back to normal. Thank you so much

    blunoa
  • This plugin deleted all content in my wp-config file

    As soon as I activated this plugin, I got a 500 error. I tried to disable it by renaming it via FTP and that didn't help. Then I noticed my wp-config.php file had suddenly become 0 bytes. Luckily I had a backup. I've never seen anything like it. EDIT: Because the developer acted so quickly to resolve the issue, I upgraded my rating.

    rtc35
  • Had to restore my website because of this thing.

    Me only mode changed the whole website!

    yahtzee1

WP Safe Mode alternatives

Plugins that solve the same problem, ranked by how closely they overlap with WP Safe Mode.

Details

Disable plugins or switch themes for just you or the whole site for debugging, troubleshooting or accessing and restoring a broken website.

The full description, screenshots and every review live on the WordPress.org page.

Tags

  • debug
  • debugging
  • recovery
  • safe mode
  • troubleshooting

More from Marcus (aka @msykes)

Version
1.3
Last updated
May 23, 2026
First published
Sep 25, 2018
Requires WordPress
4.6
Tested up to
7.0.4
Requires PHP
5.2.6
Pricing
Free on WordPress.org

WP Safe Mode FAQ

What does WP Safe Mode do?

According to its WordPress.org readme, WP Safe Mode offers Enter Safe Mode for just yourself whilst logged in, Enable Safe Mode for the whole site, Admin Bar shortcuts for enabling/disabling Safe Mode, Restrict Safe Mode to certain IP addresses and Automatic installation (if file permissions allow).

How many active installs does WP Safe Mode have?

WordPress.org reports 2,000+ active installs for WP Safe Mode as of September 7, 2026.

Is WP Safe Mode still maintained?

Yes. The last release was on May 23, 2026 and it is tested up to WordPress 7.0.4.

Is WP Safe Mode free?

WP Safe Mode is free to install from WordPress.org. Many plugins also sell a paid version or add-ons.