Once you’ve installed your new theme, you are ready to switch themes.
However, it’s always recommended to test a theme before switching to it on your live website.
This way you’ll be able to check the compatibility of the new theme with your existing plugins and make sure that everything is working properly as desired.
There are two ways that you can use to change your WordPress theme without going live:
1. Live Preview Option
By default, WordPress allows you to preview a theme on your website without changing it.
To do that, head over to Appearance » Themes from the left sidebar of your admin panel.
On this page, you’ll see all the installed themes on your site. You need to hover your mouse over the theme you want to preview and click on the Live Preview button.
This will open your new theme in the WordPress Theme Customizer. You can now test your new theme and make sure that everything is working properly.
2. Theme Switcha Plugin
Another option is to use the Theme Switcha plugin. It allows you to preview your new theme without activating it.
First, you need to install and activate this free plugin. Next, go to Settings » Theme Switcha from the left sidebar of your admin panel.
On the Settings page, you need to select the “Enable theme switching” option and then, scroll to the bottom of the page to click on Save Changes.
This plugin will now display all your installed themes at the bottom of this page. Go ahead and click on your new theme to preview it on a new tab of your web browser.
