Disable Application Passwords
by Jeff Starr · Uncategorized
Also makes 30 other plugins · 1.1M+ installs across the portfolio →
Activate this plugin to disable the Application Passwords feature that was added in WP v5.6.
Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.
Health
A 86/100
Few reviews
Active installs
3K+
≈3K estimated
Momentum
-10%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Add “applications”, “activate” and “usps” to your wp.org tags. You rank #4, #20 and #21 for them without listing them, close enough for a declared tag to move you up. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so with 3 listed these are the slots worth spending.
86 health vs 58 average across 25,763 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →5.7%
of downloads still active
At least 3K of 52.8K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,773 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Uncategorized plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
This plugin shipped 4 releases in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
Details
Recent review vibe
read from the latest 9 reviews to 2026-03-25Reviewers are consistently happy, calling it a simple must-have that removes the application passwords feature cleanly, with the newest one saying it still works on current WordPress and PHP.
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Excellent listing optimization
Most to gain: Rating quality
Updated 108 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
5.0★ over 9 reviews, smoothed to 4.24★ and held back under 25 reviews
3 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Too few reviews to rank on quality — nudge happy users to leave one.
Get the full rank-higher report →Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
33
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.5
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
9%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.4
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| application your tag | #1 | #2 | 0 |
| application passwords | #1 | #4 | 0 |
| passwords your tag | #3 | #7 | down 1 |
| applications | #4 | #12 | 0 |
| no more passwords | #8 | #19 | 0 |
| activate | #20 | #23 | down 3 |
| password | #17 | #14 | up 1 |
| usps | #21 | #20 | up 3 |
| ban | #24 | #21 | 0 |
| disable update | #24 | #21 | 0 |
| disable updates | #24 | #21 | down 2 |
| disable your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
51 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 11 listed. 40 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 1 of its tags isn't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Add “applications”, “activate” and “usps” to your wp.org tags. You rank #4, #20 and #21 for them without listing them, close enough for a declared tag to move you up. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so with 3 listed these are the slots worth spending.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,490 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 2.1K · peaks are release surges
Directory rank vs rivals
wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
Release cadence
Actively maintainedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
4
releases in the last 12 months
4mo ago
latest release · v2.6 · 17 Jul 2026
17
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 21% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “3K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 42 days ago and the previous band took 3.9 years to cross, so the real count is still just over 3K.
At the current install trend, crossing 4K+ in roughly 166 days.
Install history since 16 Jan 2021
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ tinaponting7mo ago
Works very great with the Latest, php / wordpress blogs of mine
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ scoun3.1y ago
very nice !
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Suki5.0y ago
You could do the same with a Filter, but you would never know if your code is still compatible with the new versions of wordpress. This simple plugin is a “must have” in every wordpress! Thank you!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Kyler Boudreau5.0y ago
Jeff Star at Perishable Press has done it again. If you’re new to his stuff, you definitely need to take a closer look. Thanks for this plugin! I just installed it on all of my sites.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Jean Werk5.7y ago
I was going to write my own one-liner plugin but I trust Jeff’s plugins 🙂
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ 1yearplan5.8y ago
I kiss you Mr Star for this useful plugin that removes the unwanted application-password feature.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Panos5.9y ago
Usefull plugin from the credible Jeff the Star! Stay safe mr. Starr!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Jimmy Lee5.9y ago
Ask and you shall receive! Brought up the need to Mr. Starr and POOF! Again, thanks Jeff!
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 10 languages, 10 at 90% or more
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.
Readme readiness
3 of 8 pass · checked 27 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ! Says what it does Short description names no action; say what the plugin does for the site.
- ! Has a FAQ Only 2 questions in the FAQ; 3 or more gives an assistant something to match.
- ! FAQ asks real questions 0 of 2 FAQ entries are headings, not questions ("undefined").
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Google Analytics, REST API.
- ! Headings and lists 0 headings and 4 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 2,143 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text All 3 tags appear in the text.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-09-21 2K+ → 3K+ up after 1427 days in tier
- 2022-10-25 1K+ → 2K+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2022-10-24 2K+ → 1K+ down after 9 days in tier
- 2022-10-15 1K+ → 2K+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2022-10-14 2K+ → 1K+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2022-10-13 1K+ → 2K+ up after 519 days in tier
- 2021-05-12 300+ → 1K+ up
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
Application Passwords Enable 800+ installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags - A Application Passwords Manager 100+ installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags
- C Classic Widgets 2M+ installs · 4.8★ · 1 shared tag B
-
Disable Comments 100K+ installs · 3.8★ · 1 shared tag B - D Disable Emojis (GDPR friendly) 60K+ installs · 4.9★ · 1 shared tag A
-
Disable Search 30K+ installs · 4.3★ · 1 shared tag C
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Disable Application Passwords into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/disable-application-passwords" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Disable Application Passwords — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Disable Application Passwords: 3K+ active installs, 5.0★ (9 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-02. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/disable-application-passwords
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