How do I discard unstaged changes in Git?

To discard unstaged changes in Git (i.e., changes in your working directory that haven’t been added to the staging area), use the following commands:

1. Discard All Unstaged Changes

git checkout -- .        # Discard changes to all tracked files
# OR (modern Git versions)
git restore .           # Same effect as `git checkout -- .`

2. Discard Changes to a Specific File

git checkout -- path/to/file    # Discard changes to a single file
# OR
git restore path/to/file

What This Does

• git checkout -- . or git restore .:
• Reverts all tracked files in the current directory and subdirectories to their last committed state.
• Untracked files (new files not added to Git) are not affected.

Example Workflow

# 1. Check the status of unstaged changes
git status

# 2. Discard all unstaged changes
git restore .

# 3. Verify the changes are gone
git status

Key Notes

• Irreversible Action: This permanently deletes unstaged changes. Use with caution!
• Untracked Files: To remove untracked files, use git clean -df.
• Staged Changes: If changes are staged (added to the index), use git reset first.

Related Commands

• Discard staged changes (undo git add):

  git reset HEAD .          # Unstage all changes (keeps files modified)
  git restore --staged .   # Modern equivalent

• Discard both staged and unstaged changes:

  git reset --hard HEAD    # Reset everything to the last commit

By using these commands, you can cleanly discard unwanted changes and reset your working directory.