How to Remove the WordPress Login Shake Effect (Step-by-Step)

Hey there, WordPress user! Have you ever entered the wrong login credentials on your site and noticed the form shaking back and forth? While this animated "shake" is meant to alert you of an incorrect username or password, some folks find it annoying or distracting.

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In this tutorial, we‘ll walk you through exactly how to disable the WordPress login shake effect step-by-step. By the end, you‘ll be able to easily turn off this animation whether you prefer using plugins or custom code. Let‘s dive in!

What Is the WordPress Login Shake Effect?

First, let‘s clarify what we mean by the WordPress login "shake" effect. By default, the WP login form will briefly shake horizontally if you enter the wrong username/password combination. An error message will also pop up explaining the login attempt failed.

Here‘s a quick gif of the shake animation in action:

This UX feature is designed to visually alert users as soon as possible that their login credentials are incorrect. It‘s the same principle as form fields turning red when you enter invalid information.

How Many Sites Have the Login Shake Enabled?

WordPress is used by over 43% of all websites, including around 64 million sites just on the WordPress.com platform (Source). That means tens of millions of sites likely have the default login shake effect active.

However, some percentage of those sites may have disabled the shake animation for various reasons:

They find it annoying or think it looks unprofessional
It doesn‘t match their site‘s branding or design aesthetic
They want to minimize unnecessary animations for accessibility
The rapid shaking movement feels jarring to certain users

At the end of the day, disabling the login shake effect is a matter of personal preference. It won‘t impact your site‘s security or performance – it‘s purely a visual tweak.

How to Remove the Login Shake Using a Plugin (No Code Required!)

The easiest way to get rid of the WordPress login shake for non-technical users is by installing a plugin. We like WPCode, a free plugin that lets you manage custom code snippets right from your dashboard.

Here‘s how to use WPCode to disable the login form shake:

Install and activate the WPCode plugin on your WordPress site
In your WP dashboard, go to Code Snippets » Add Snippet
Search for "Remove Login Shake" in the snippet library
Hover over the "Remove Login Shake Animation" snippet and click Use Snippet
Toggle the snippet to Active and click Save

That‘s it! The login shake effect should now be disabled on your site. To test it out, intentionally enter the wrong username/password on your login page. The form should remain still, with only the error text appearing.

If you ever want to re-enable the shake animation, simply head back to WPCode and set the "Remove Login Shake Animation" snippet to Inactive.

Disable Login Shake by Editing functions.php (Advanced)

If you‘re comfortable adding code to your WordPress files, you can remove the login shake by dropping a snippet into your theme‘s functions.php file:

Go to Appearance » Theme Editor in your WP dashboard
Select Theme Functions (functions.php) under Theme Files
Paste this code at the bottom of the file:

function disable_login_shake() { 
   remove_action(‘login_head‘, ‘wp_shake_js‘, 12);
}
add_action(‘login_head‘, ‘disable_login_shake‘);

Click Update File to save your changes

This snippet removes the JavaScript action that creates the login shake effect. One advantage of editing the functions.php file directly is that you don‘t need an extra plugin.

However, be aware that changes made to your theme files can get overwritten when you update your theme. That‘s why we generally recommend using a plugin like WPCode to manage custom code instead.

WordPress Login Security Tips & Best Practices

While the login shake effect is a visual feature that doesn‘t directly impact security, it‘s still crucial to follow login best practices to protect your site from unauthorized access.

According to WordFence, WordPress sites can face up to 100,000 hacking attempts per day! To harden your login security:

Use strong passwords with 12+ characters and a mix of upper/lower case, numbers & symbols
Enable two-factor authentication for an extra verification layer
Install a WordPress security plugin to monitor for suspicious login activity
Limit failed login attempts to block brute force attacks
Keep your WordPress core, themes & plugins updated

Here are a few more guides to help you customize and secure your WordPress login page:

Frequently Asked Questions

Before we wrap up, let‘s go over a few common questions about the WordPress login shake effect:

What does the login shake animation look like?
If you enter an incorrect username/password on the WordPress login form, the default behavior is a quick side-to-side "shake" animation. It‘s meant to draw attention to the login error message below the form.

Does disabling the shake effect impact security?
No, the login form shake is a purely visual animation. Removing it won‘t affect security, brute force protection, or any other login functions. You can safely disable the animation if you find it distracting or annoying.

Can I customize other parts of the login page?
Yes! Aside from the shake effect, you can completely customize your WordPress login page design with custom branding, color scheme, layout, and more. Check out our guide on creating a custom WordPress login page.

I disabled the login shake but it‘s still showing up?
First, clear your browser cache and cookies to make sure you‘re seeing the latest version of your site. If the shake effect persists, double check that your code snippet or plugin settings were saved and applied correctly.

Wrapping Up

To recap, the WordPress login form has a default "shake" animation that appears when you enter the wrong username or password. If you find this effect annoying or off-putting, you can easily disable it by:

Using the free WPCode plugin to add a "Remove Login Shake" code snippet
Manually pasting a similar snippet in your theme‘s functions.php file

Whether you love it or hate it, the login shake animation is a UX pattern that won‘t impact your site‘s speed, security, or WordPress core functionality. If you do decide to remove the effect, make sure to still follow login hardening best practices like enforcing strong passwords and enabling 2FA.

Ultimately, little customizations like this can make the WordPress admin experience smoother for you and your users. Want to learn even more ways to personalize your site? Subscribe to our newsletter for more tutorials, tips, and guides!