Laravel 12: New Features, Performance Boost & Installation

Laravel, one of the most popular PHP frameworks, continues to evolve with each new release. Laravel 12, set to launch on February 24, 2025, brings exciting enhancements in performance, developer experience, and security.

At Laracon EU 2025, Taylor Otwell announced that Laravel 12 will be the first major version with zero-breaking changes, ensuring a seamless upgrade experience for developers.

Whether you're a seasoned Laravel developer or just getting started, this blog will provide an in-depth look at Laravel 12’s new features, performance improvements, and a step-by-step guide to installing Laravel 12 on your server.

Laravel Versions Update

Laravel releases and bug fixes are available for 18 months>, and security fixes are available for 2 years.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the current version, release dates, end-of-life (EOL) dates, and security fixes for Laravel:

Note: Ensure to keep track of the end-of-life dates for the versions to ensure your projects are always up-to-date with the latest security fixes.

Key Features of Laravel 12

Laravel 12 introduces a host of new features designed to make web development faster, more secure, and more efficient. Here are some of the standout updates:

• Asynchronous Caching: Laravel 12 introduces asynchronous caching mechanisms, allowing cache operations to run in the background without blocking other processes. This significantly improves the performance of high-traffic applications.
• Streamlined Dependency Injection: Leveraging PHP 8's property promotion, Laravel 12 simplifies dependency injection, reducing boilerplate code and improving readability.
• Enhanced Developer Experience: With a new scaffolding system, real-time linting, and improved error handling, Laravel 12 makes development faster and more intuitive.
• Advanced Query Builder: New methods like nestedWhere simplify complex queries, making them more readable and easier to manage.
• Security Enhancements: Laravel 12 introduces improved validation methods, advanced encryption protocols, and built-in support for secure password policies.
• Modern Frontend Tooling: Seamless integration with Vite and Tailwind CSS ensures Laravel remains a top choice for full-stack developers.
• API Development: Native GraphQL support and a new API versioning syntax simplify API development and maintenance.
• Improved Testing and Debugging: An AI-powered debugging assistant provides actionable suggestions based on runtime data, making debugging faster and more efficient.
• Eloquent ORM Enhancements: Conditional eager loading, filtered relationships, and enhanced relationship constraints streamline database interactions.
• Job and Queue Management: Dynamic prioritization and smarter retry mechanisms improve task orchestration for large-scale applications.
• DevOps Integration: New tools integrate natively with modern CI/CD pipelines, ensuring smoother deployment processes.

Performance Improvements in Laravel 12

Laravel 12 brings significant performance enhancements, making it an ideal choice for building fast, scalable, and responsive applications. Key improvements include:

• Asynchronous Caching: Cache operations now run in the background, reducing bottlenecks during heavy loads.
• Query Execution Optimization: The Query Builder now utilizes database-specific features more effectively, improving the performance of complex queries.
• Modern PHP Features: Laravel 12 embraces PHP 8+ features like Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation, accelerating code execution.
• Dynamic Job Prioritization: Critical background jobs can now take precedence over lower-priority tasks, ensuring timely execution.

Deprecated Functions in Laravel 12

With every new release, some older functions are deprecated to make way for better alternatives. In Laravel 12, the following functions will be deprecated:

• Soft Deletes::restore() in Global Scopes: The restore() method is no longer supported in global scopes. Developers should override it in individual models.
• route() Helper for Non-String Routes: The route() helper now only supports string-based route names.
• Array-Based Relationship Definitions: Array-based relationship definitions in models are deprecated in favor of method-based relationships.
• Validation Rule “Same”: The same validation rule is replaced with the compare rule for better consistency.
• Helper Functions for URL Parsing: Functions like parse_url() are deprecated in favor of the more robust URL facade.

How to Install Laravel 12

Once Laravel 12 is officially released, you can install it on your server by following these steps:

1. Log in to Your Cloudways Account: Navigate to the Cloudways platform and log in.
2. Create a New Server: Click on “Launch” to create a new server and select “Laravel Application” as your application type.
3. Choose Server Specifications: Select the server provider, size, and location based on your project requirements.
4. Launch the Server: Click “Launch Now” to set up the server.
5. Access the Server via SSH: Use the Master Credentials to log in to your server via an SSH client like PuTTY.
6. Navigate to the Public HTML Folder: Open the SSH terminal and navigate to the public_html folder of your application.
7. Install Laravel 12: Run the following command to install Laravel 12: composer create-project --prefer-dist laravel/laravel blog.
8. Access Your Application: Navigate to your application path to see the default Laravel welcome screen.

Conclusion

Laravel 12 is set to be a game-changer for web developers, offering significant performance improvements, new features, and enhanced security. With its release scheduled for Q1 2025, now is the perfect time to start preparing for the upgrade. Whether you're building a small application or a large-scale platform, Laravel 12 provides the tools and features you need to succeed. Stay tuned for more updates, and get ready to take your web development skills to the next level with Laravel 12!

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