Jetpack has been picking up the pace with its development lately. Version 1.8 introduces a new module that gives any WordPress site a mobile theme. This module provides a quick way to optimize your site for mobile viewing, especially if you’ve opted not to use a responsive WordPress theme.

The design for the mobile theme may look familiar to you, as it is based on the Twenty Eleven default theme.

Configuring the Mobile Theme module is a little more involved than most Jetpack modules, especially if you need to adjust your sidebar ID, but it’s all outlined in the documentation.

The theme is only visible on mobile operating systems, so you’ll need to visit your site from a smartphone after you’ve enabled it. You’ll find that the theme respects the following custom design settings from your current WordPress theme:

• Custom header image
• Custom background image or color
• Custom background image repeat and position settings
• Whether or not to display the header text (applies to site title and description)
• Header text color (color applies to site title only)

If you have customized any of these aspects of your site, they will be automatically pulled into the mobile theme:

If a mobile visitor is not satisfied with the display on his device, he can always switch to the desktop version by clicking “View Full Site” at the bottom of each page.

I wouldn’t recommend using this theme if you’ve already taken great pains to produce a responsive WordPress theme that automatically resizes for different devices. However, if you need a simple mobile theme for your blog and want something that’s easy to set up and navigate, then the Jetpack Mobile Theme module might be just the ticket for you. Upgrade to Jetpack 1.8 to take advantage of this