If you see Error 405 when opening the public URL of phpMyAdmin, or the page starts downloading the index php file instead of loading normally, you might also notice that phpmyadmin keeps switching back to PHP 5.4 no matter how many times you select a newer version in the settings.
The good news is that this is a common issue and it can be fixed easily without lowering the Nginx version.
Here is the fix
Uninstall phpMyAdmin from the app store.
Your databases and SQL data are safe. Only the phpMyAdmin configuration files will be removed.
Reinstall phpMyAdmin fresh from the app store.
Install PHP 7.3, available in the app store.
This part is important. Avoid PHP 8.4 and newer releases. They are not yet supported by many current phpMyAdmin versions and can cause the same problem or even worse ones. Maybe in the future it will work with phpmyadmin, but as of October 2025 it does not.
Restart your hosting panel or web server so every change is applied.
That is all.
This solution has been tested many times and it fixes the 405 error, stops unwanted file downloads, and keeps phpMyAdmin working with a compatible version of PHP.
Let us know if it works for you.
If it still does not work, check the following:
• Use https ports that Cloudflare supports, for example 2083 or 2087. You can search online for more options.
• Clear or purge (if you use Cloudflare) the cache, or open the site in a different browser or an incognito window.
