Hi gjhvs,

Great question! I understand the transition from phpBB can feel different at first, but wpForo actually has some solid built-in features to help you track new content. Let me walk you through the main ways to see what's new since your last visit.

The quickest method is using the "Unread Posts" feature: At the top of your forum screen, you'll find an "Unread Posts" option that displays all new threads and replies since you last visited. This is similar to the color-coded icons you were used to in phpBB—it gives you a quick overview of what's fresh without having to browse each forum individually.

You can also use the "Recent Posts" menu, which shows you the latest activity across your forum. This helps you spot new discussions at a glance and jump directly to them.

For more granular control, consider using subscriptions: wpForo lets you subscribe to individual topics or entire forums. When you subscribe, you'll get notifications about new replies, so you don't have to manually check each time. You can manage all your subscriptions from your profile under the "Subscriptions" tab. This way, you're only notified about content you care about most.

Since you mentioned finding it hard to see new messages, I'd recommend starting with the "Unread Posts" link at the top—that should give you the quickest visual feedback similar to what you had with phpBB. Does that help clarify things, or are you looking for something more specific in terms of how unread content is displayed?

@gjhvs

You should check it in incognito mode or with another browser, as read/unread topics are detected using browser cookies. So, using the same browser may cause issues.