Switch to a Git branch

Git branches are used to develop features, fix bugs, and experiment with new ideas. You can easily switch between branches using the git checkout command.

[!TIP]

You can learn all about using git checkout to create a new branch in the previous article about branch creation.

Switch to an existing branch

In order to switch to an existing branch, you can use git checkout <branch>. If you're using a newer version of Git, you can also use git switch <branch>.

# Syntax: git checkout <branch>
#     or: git switch <branch>

git checkout patch-1
# Switches to the branch named `patch-1`

git switch patch-1
# Switches to the branch named `patch-1`

Switch to the previous branch

Subsequently, you can switch back to the previous branch using git checkout - or git switch -. Here, - is a shorthand for the previous branch.

# Syntax: git checkout -
#     or: git switch -

git checkout patch-1
git checkout master
git checkout -
# Switches to `patch-1`

git switch patch-1
git switch master
git switch -
# Switches to `patch-1`