Discard changes in Git

How do I discard uncommitted changes in Git?

You've been editing a file and the changes turned out to be a mistake. You don't want to commit them - you want the file back exactly as it was at the last commit. That's how you discard changes in Git, and the tool is git restore.

One warning up front. Unlike unstaging, discarding actually deletes your uncommitted work.

DESTRUCTIVE: git restore throws changes away

To reset one file back to its last committed state:

git restore config.php

After this, all your uncommitted edits to config.php are gone. The file matches the last commit again.

This is a destructive command. There is no undo. The changes were never committed, so Git has no copy of them - the reflog and every other recovery tool in this chapter work on commits, and uncommitted work isn't a commit. Once discarded, it's gone. Only run this when you are sure you don't want the changes.

Discard everything with git restore .

To throw away all uncommitted changes in the whole working directory:

git restore .

This is even more destructive - it wipes uncommitted edits across every tracked file at once. Run git status first to see exactly what you're about to lose:

git status

Everything listed under "Changes not staged for commit" will be discarded.

Worth knowing: git restore . only touches files Git already tracks. Brand-new files Git isn't watching yet (your untracked ones) survive it - git restore has nothing committed to restore them to. Clearing those out is a separate, even sharper command (git clean), not covered here.

A safer habit before discarding

Since there's no way back, get in the habit of pausing before you run git restore. Two quick safety checks:

• Run git diff to see the exact changes you're about to delete.
• If you're even slightly unsure, stash the changes instead. git stash tucks them away safely and you can bring them back later if you change your mind. It's the non-destructive alternative to discarding.

Common mistake

Confusing git restore file with git restore --staged file. They read almost the same, but they do opposite-risk things: --staged only unstages and keeps your work; without --staged, it deletes your work. If a file is both staged and modified, you may need to unstage first, then discard. When in doubt, check git status - it tells you which state the file is in.

FAQ

How do I discard uncommitted changes in Git?

Run git restore <file> for one file, or git restore . for everything. This is destructive - the uncommitted changes are permanently deleted, so be sure first.

Can I get back changes I discarded with git restore?

No. Discarded changes were never committed, so Git kept no copy. Unlike a bad reset, there is nothing in the reflog to recover. This is why stashing is safer when you're unsure.

What's the difference between discarding and unstaging?

Unstaging (git restore --staged file) keeps your changes and only removes them from the staging area. Discarding (git restore file) deletes your changes entirely.