How to Disable email verification and manually activate a newly registered user

Introduction

BuddyBoss requires new users to verify their email before logging in. You can stop the activation email from being sent and manually approve new registrations using a custom function in your active theme. This guide explains how you disable email verification and manually activate a newly registered user.

Custom Workaround

Before proceeding, make sure you have a complete site backup.

1. In your WordPress admin dashboard, go to Appearance > Theme Editor.
2. Under Select theme to edit, choose your active theme (preferably BuddyBoss Child Theme), then click Select.
3. From the Theme Files list, click Theme Functions (functions.php).
4. Paste the following code just before the closing PHP tag (?>):

add_filter( 'bp_core_signup_send_activation_key', 'ps_disable_activation_email' );

function ps_disable_activation_email() { 

    return false; 

}

add_filter( 'gettext', 'ps_change_activation_message', 20, 3 );

function ps_change_activation_message( $translated_text, $text, $domain ) {

    switch ( $translated_text ) {

        case 'Before you can login, you need to confirm your email address via the email we just sent to you.' :

            $translated_text = __( 'Your membership account is awaiting approval by the site administrator.', 'buddypress' );

            break;

    }

    return $translated_text;
}

5. Click Update File to save your changes.

Manually Approving a New User

1. Log in as an Administrator.
2. Go to Users > Pending Signups.
3. Hover over the user you want to approve and click Activate.

Note: Any modifications like this are considered custom work. Please review the BuddyBoss Support Policy.

Troubleshooting and FAQs

Q: New users still receive the activation email, what should I check?
A: Ensure the code is added to the active theme’s functions.php and clear any caches.

Q: Can I revert this change easily?
A: Yes, remove the code from functions.php and save.

Q: Will this affect other parts of the site?
A: No, this only affects new user registration and activation.

Q: Who can I contact for further assistance?
A: Check the BuddyBoss Support Policy or consult a developer.