How to Keep WordPress From Forgetting You With Remember Me

Nothing’s more frustrating than getting logged out of your WordPress dashboard right in the middle of editing a post or updating a plugin. We’ve had to deal with this while working on our own websites – deep into customizing the site or managing content, only to click somewhere and find ourselves staring at the login screen again.

By default, the “Remember Me” feature only keeps you logged in for two weeks. That might sound fine, until you realize how often you check your site.

For busy site owners, getting kicked out every two weeks is a real productivity killer.

The good news is that we’ve found an easy fix for this. With a tool called WPCode, you can extend your WordPress login sessions.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to use WPCode’s built-in snippet library to keep WordPress from forgetting you with Remember Me. You can easily set your login time from 2 weeks to 30 days, no coding needed. 🙌

What Is the Remember Me Functionality in WordPress?

In WordPress, the ‘Remember Me’ login feature lets users stay logged into the content management system (CMS) for around 2 weeks.

So, if a user closes WordPress and has this feature turned on, they will automatically be signed in the next time they open WordPress within those 2 weeks.

Here’s what the ‘Remember Me’ checkbox looks like on the WordPress login page:

If WordPress users forget their login credentials, then they won’t need to worry about resetting their passwords, as they’ll be automatically signed in. Then, they can start working on their WordPress websites right away.

That said, 2 weeks may not be enough for people who frequently work on their websites, like bloggers or WooCommerce store owners. That’s why many users look for solutions to stay logged in for much longer.

In this article, we will share how to prevent your WordPress website from forgetting your user login by enabling the ‘Always Remember Me’ functionality. Here’s a quick overview of all the things we’ll cover in this guide:

Ready? Let’s jump right in!

Make WordPress Always Remember You With Custom Code

This custom code method offers a straightforward way to stay logged into your WordPress website.

If you are new to adding code in WordPress, then the process may seem intimidating.

Many WordPress bloggers will suggest that you modify your code file, called functions.php, via your WordPress hosting provider’s file manager or an FTP client.

But in this step-by-step guide, we will use the WPCode plugin instead. It’s the best WordPress code snippets plugin and provides a much easier approach without the risk of breaking your website.

Some of our business websites use WPCode to add and manage their custom code snippets. It’s been working exceptionally well, that’s why we highly recommend it. Check out our detailed WPCode review for insights into the plugin.

First, let’s install and activate the WPCode plugin. If you need some help, go ahead and check out our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

After that, you’ll want to head to Code Snippets » Library from the WordPress admin dashboard.

From there, you can search for the ‘Extend Login Expiration Time’ snippet. Once you find the snippet, hover over it and click the ‘Use snippet’ button.

On the next page, you’ll see that WPCode has automatically added the code.

This code will extend the ‘Remember Me’ functionality to 30 days rather than 2 weeks.

It also has set the proper insertion method and added a title and tags to help you remember what the code is for.

Now, you can toggle the ‘Active’ button at the top menu to make the code work right away, and then click the ‘Update’ button.

And that’s all you need to do to extend the ‘Remember Me’ feature for your WordPress user login screen.

🧑‍💻 Expert Tip: If you’re an advanced user, you can copy and paste this code into your functions.php file instead of using WPCode:

function wpbeginner_remember_me($expires) {
 
return 2419200; // Set the time in seconds (e.g., 2419200 for 4 weeks)
 
}
 
add_filter('auth_cookie_expiration', 'wpbeginner_remember_me');

You can make the duration longer than 4 weeks, but make sure to set the time in seconds.

You can also add the following code right below the code above to make the ‘Remember Me’ checkbox ticked by default:

function wpbeginner_login_checkbox() {
 
?>
 
<script>
 
document.getElementById('rememberme').checked = true;
 
document.getElementById('user_login').focus();
 
</script>
 
<?php
 
}
 
add_filter('login_footer', 'wpbeginner_login_checkbox');

Bonus Tip: What to Keep in Mind When Extending the WordPress Remember Me Feature

At WPBeginner, we understand how frustrating it is to be unexpectedly logged out of WordPress, especially when you are in the middle of something important. But there’s a good reason WordPress usually keeps you logged in for only 14 days.

It’s all about protecting your site from cybercriminals. These folks often try to break into your WordPress through password guessing or brute-force attacks.

If they manage to get hold of your computer or gain remote access, then they could easily hack into your WordPress site. In turn, they could cause real trouble for your website’s security. In other words, the 14-day limit is like an extra layer of defense against these potential risks.

In fact, some people remove the ‘Remember Me’ functionality entirely for security reasons.

The good news is that you can still prolong the ‘Remember Me’ feature without compromising your website security. Here are some tips:

• Enable password protection on your WordPress login screen. Then, users must enter an additional username and password before they even reach the login page.
• Limit the login attempts on your WordPress website. When hackers fail to access the admin page after a few attempts, WordPress will automatically lock them out.
• Add two-factor authentication to WordPress. This feature will require new users to use an additional code on their login screen after entering their login credentials. If they don’t have the right code, then they won’t be signed in.

For more information about WordPress site protection, you can check out our ultimate WordPress security guide.

Bonus Resources: More Guides for WordPress User Management

We hope this article has helped you learn how to keep WordPress from forgetting you by extending the ‘Remember Me’ feature. You may also want to bookmark our guides on:

• How to Force Strong Passwords on Users in WordPress
• How to Moderate New User Registrations in WordPress
• How to Find Pending Unconfirmed Users in WordPress
• How to Display Recently Registered Users in WordPress
• How to Show Real-Time Online Users in WordPress
• How to Add a Google One-Click Login in WordPress
• How to Add Social Login to WordPress

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