Fixing WordPress 6.8 Slow Image Uploads For Large Files

Last updated: April 25, 2025 • Reading time: 8 minutes

Oh, the joys of WordPress updates! You click that innocent "Update Now" button, and suddenly your website's image uploader moves slower than a sloth swimming through treacle. If you've upgraded to WordPress 6.8 and now find yourself aging visibly while waiting for WordPress 6.8 slow image uploads to complete, grab a cuppa — you're not alone, and I've got solutions that actually work.

Update:

We created a free plugin to fix slow image upload problems in WordPress 6.8. Or you can read on and get the code to add to your functions.php to change the order of priority of the image processor.

Table of Contents

• Understanding the Issue
• Quick Fixes That Often Work
  • Adjust PHP Limits
  • The .htaccess Approach
  • The Plugin Shortcut
• Advanced Solutions
  • Check Your Theme's functions.php
  • Image Processing Library Issues
  • The Nuclear Option
• Diagnosing Problems
• Real-World Examples
• Why This Is Good (Eventually)
• The 365i Advantage
• Conclusion

But I Swear It Was Blazing Fast Yesterday! — Understanding the Issue

WordPress 6.8 made some significant changes to how it handles media files, particularly large ones. It's like WordPress suddenly decided to thoroughly inspect every pixel of your images with a digital magnifying glass before letting them through the door.

"WordPress 6.8 includes significant changes to the media handling system, particularly in how it processes and optimizes images. These changes can affect upload capabilities on some server configurations that previously worked fine."
— WordPress 6.8 Development Notes

What's happening behind the scenes? According to WordPress Core developer Samuel "Otto" Wood, WordPress 6.8 now performs more thorough image processing, which means larger files get stuck in a processing queue that makes a government office look speedy by comparison. It's technically "better" but in that annoying way your phone is "better" after an update that somehow makes it run like it's wading through custard.

First Aid: Quick Fixes That Often Work

Before we start digging through config files and server settings (the digital equivalent of major surgery), let's try some quick fixes that have saved my bacon countless times:

1. Adjust Your PHP Limits

WordPress 6.8 might be respecting your server's PHP limits more strictly than before. According to Kinsta's WordPress performance experts, this is often the primary bottleneck for large file uploads. Add this to your wp-config.php file:

@ini_set('upload_max_size', '64M');
@ini_set('post_max_size', '64M');
@ini_set('max_execution_time', '300');

2. The .htaccess Approach

This works wonders if you're on Apache. Edit your .htaccess file and add:

php_value upload_max_filesize 64M
php_value post_max_size 64M
php_value max_execution_time 300
php_value max_input_time 300

I once spent three hours debugging a client's site before realizing their hosting provider was silently ignoring .htaccess changes. That was a fun call to support! ("Yes, I've tried turning it off and on again. Twice. No, three times now.")

3. The Plugin Shortcut

If you're not comfortable editing server files (or don't have access), try the "Increase Max Upload Filesize" plugin. It essentially does the same thing but through a friendly interface that won't make you question your life choices.

Getting Serious: When Quick Fixes Fail

If those quick fixes didn't work, it's time to roll up our sleeves and get properly stuck in:

1. Check Your Theme's functions.php

Some themes accidentally limit upload sizes. The WordPress.org Codex documentation indicates that theme-specific limitations can override your server settings. Add this to your functions.php:

function increase_upload_size_limit($size) {
    return 134217728; // 128 megabytes in bytes
}
add_filter('upload_size_limit', 'increase_upload_size_limit');

2. The WordPress 6.8 Special: Image Processing Library Issues

Here's where things get interesting. WordPress 6.8 made some changes to how it handles image processing libraries. WP Engine's technical documentation explains that switching between image libraries can dramatically improve processing speed. The solution that's saved more client relationships than I care to admit is forcing WordPress to use a specific image library.

Add this to your functions.php to force WordPress to use GD instead of Imagick:

/**
* Forces WordPress to use GD image library first, falling back to Imagick only if needed.
* 
* This can solve image upload issues in WordPress 6.8+ where large images fail to process
* due to memory constraints or library conflicts. GD tends to be more memory-efficient
* than Imagick for basic image processing, which is perfect for most WordPress needs.
*/
add_filter('wp_image_editors', function($editors) { 
   return array('WP_Image_Editor_GD', 'WP_Image_Editor_Imagick'); 
});

Or vice versa if GD is causing problems:

add_filter('wp_image_editors', function($editors) {
    return array('WP_Image_Editor_Imagick', 'WP_Image_Editor_GD');
});

I had a client's fashion blog completely melt down after the 6.8 update because suddenly none of their product images would upload. Turned out Imagick was having a proper tantrum with their particular file format. Switching to GD fixed it in seconds, and I momentarily felt like a digital superhero.

3. The Nuclear Option: Temporarily Disable Image Optimization

If you just need to get those images uploaded RIGHT NOW and can deal with optimization later, WordPress developer Tom McFarlin suggests this emergency solution:

add_filter('wp_image_editors', '__return_empty_array');

WARNING: Only use this temporarily! It will prevent WordPress from processing images entirely. It's like disconnecting your car's engine to fix a warning light — effective but not exactly ideal long-term.

Becoming a Detective: Diagnosing What's Actually Happening

To figure out exactly where things are breaking, add this debugging code recommended by WordPress developer Bill Erickson to a PHP file in your theme (temporarily):

function debug_image_upload() {
    echo '<pre>';
    echo 'PHP Upload Max Filesize: ' . ini_get('upload_max_filesize') . "n";
    echo 'PHP Post Max Size: ' . ini_get('post_max_size') . "n";
    echo 'PHP Memory Limit: ' . ini_get('memory_limit') . "n";
    echo 'Available Image Editors: ';
    print_r(wp_get_image_editors());
    echo '</pre>';
}
add_action('admin_notices', 'debug_image_upload');

This will show you exactly what limits WordPress thinks it's working with, which is often different from what you think it should be working with. (The digital equivalent of your GPS insisting you're in a lake when you're clearly on a highway.)

Real-World Examples: You're Not Alone

I've handled about a dozen sites with this exact issue since 6.8 dropped. In almost every case, it came down to one of three things:

1. PHP limits needing adjustment — The most common and easiest to fix
2. Image processing library conflicts — Usually fixed by switching between GD and Imagick
3. A plugin that suddenly became incompatible with 6.8's image handling — Requiring updates or alternatives

The most frustrating case was a photography site where images would upload but then show as broken. Turned out WordPress 6.8 was more strictly validating image metadata, and their camera was adding some non-standard EXIF data that older WP versions ignored but 6.8 choked on. That was a proper head-scratcher!

According to WordPress VIP's performance research, these library conflicts can reduce upload speeds by as much as 70% on certain server configurations. No wonder your site feels like it's running through treacle!

Why This Is Actually Good (Eventually)

According to WordPress Core contributor Andrew Ozz, while it feels like WordPress is personally victimizing you right now, these stricter image handling processes actually lead to better security, more consistent image processing, and ultimately faster websites once the images are processed.

It's like when your gym instructor makes you do proper form instead of your usual "just lift the thing however" approach — painful now, better later.

The 365i Advantage: Skip the Headache Entirely

Listen, I could tell you how to fiddle with your server config files until your eyes cross, but here's an insider secret: at 365i, we've already optimized our WordPress Turbo Hosting platform to handle these WordPress 6.8 image processing changes.

Our customers haven't experienced these upload slowdowns because we're actually a bit obsessive about performance. I may have spent one too many late nights tweaking server configurations while muttering about image optimization. My partner now asks if I'm "going to that dark place again" whenever WordPress announces an update.

"We have recently migrated our website to 365i. With Mark's help not only was the migration seamless and speedy but Mark fixed a lot of persistent issues that had been around for ages. Since then the support we have got from Mark is exemplary. Perfect!!!"
— Steve Goddard, 365i customer

If you're tired of playing WordPress whack-a-mole with every update (and honestly, who isn't?), it might be time to consider hosting that's specifically optimized for WordPress. Our WordPress Security & Maintenance approach proactively addresses these kinds of issues before they ever reach your site. It's like having a digital bodyguard that actually does its job.

Conclusion: Speed Is Life (Especially Online)

Let's face it—WordPress updates can be as welcome as a wasp at a picnic, but they're also what keeps the platform secure and improving. With the solutions above, you should be back to uploading those massive, unnecessarily high-resolution images at speeds that won't make you question your career choices!

I've personally implemented these fixes for dozens of clients (often while they anxiously watch over Zoom, which is not at all pressuring), and they work. Promise.

If you're still stuck watching that eternal progress bar, don't suffer in silence — reach out to us and we'll help sort it out. Because nobody should have to explain to a client why their logo is still sitting on their desktop instead of on their shiny new website.

While you're optimizing your WordPress site, you might also want to check out our guide on E-E-A-T: 7 Practical Ways to Boost Your Score – because fast uploads won't help much if Google doesn't trust your content in the first place! And speaking of speed, our 1-Click Web Optimisation Tools can transform your overall site performance beyond just fixing those pesky image uploads.

For those just getting started with WordPress, our comprehensive Step-by-Step Guide to WordPress Website Design walks you through the entire process of creating a stunning site – without the technical headaches that make you want to throw your computer out the window. Trust me, I've been there, finger hovering over "delete website" at 3 AM.

Have you encountered other WordPress 6.8 speed issues? Share in the comments below and let's solve them together!

Mark McNeece is the founder of 365i, providing specialized WordPress hosting and web development services. With over 15 years of experience rescuing websites from the brink of digital disaster, he's seen (and fixed) pretty much everything WordPress can throw at you. His hobbies include optimizing server configurations at 2 AM and explaining technical problems using food metaphors.