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Laravel 12 has officially been released, bringing a host of improvements that focus on maintenance, dependency updates, and brand-new starter kits for React, Vue, and Livewire. This release is designed to ensure that nearly all applications can upgrade seamlessly without needing to modify existing code.
What’s New in Laravel 12?
Focus on Maintenance and Upstream Updates
Laravel 12 is primarily a maintenance-focused release. By updating upstream dependencies and minimizing breaking changes, this version allows developers to enjoy a smoother transition while continuously shipping new features throughout the year. This strategy is part of Laravel’s ongoing commitment to delivering enhanced functionality with each yearly release, ensuring compatibility with the latest PHP versions and dependencies.
Introducing New Starter Kits
One of the standout features of Laravel 12 is the introduction of new starter kits tailored for React, Vue, and Livewire. These kits come equipped with:
- Shadcn components for a polished, modern UI
- Livewire stack options, including a free version of Flux components
- WorkOS AuthKit variants, offering flexible authentication methods:
- Social Authentication
- Passkey Authentication
- Email-based Authentication
- SSO with WorkOS
For more details on how these starter kits can streamline your development process, be sure to check the official documentation.
Continued PHP 8.2 Support
Laravel 12 continues to support PHP 8.2 as its minimum version, ensuring that your applications benefit from the latest performance improvements and security features.
Getting Started with Laravel 12
Installation
If you’re using Laravel Herd, simply update to the latest version to access the new installer. Alternatively, you can install Laravel 12 using the Laravel Installer with the following commands:
Upgrading Existing Projects
For existing applications, upgrading to Laravel 12 is straightforward. Laravel Shift is a quick and efficient solution for this purpose, or you can follow the upgrade guide available in the Laravel documentation.
Laravel Support Policy
Laravel ensures robust support for its releases:
- Bug Fixes: Provided for 18 months
- Security Fixes: Provided for 2 years
Here’s a quick overview of the recent versions:
- Laravel 10: Released February 14th, 2023 | Bug fixes until August 6th, 2024 | Security fixes until February 4th, 2025
- Laravel 11: Released March 12th, 2024 | Bug fixes until September 3rd, 2025 | Security fixes until March 12th, 2026
- Laravel 12: Released February 24th, 2025 | Bug fixes until August 13th, 2026 | Security fixes until February 24th, 2027
- Laravel 13: TBD
