git switch -c branch-name creates the branch and moves you onto it. The older equivalent is git checkout -b branch-name.Why branch?
A branch is a separate line of work. The default branch is usually called
main. When you want to add a feature or fix a bug, you create a branch off
main, do your work there, and only merge it back when it's ready. Meanwhile
main stays clean and working.
Mental model: branching is like "Save As" for a whole timeline. You can experiment freely — if it doesn't work out, just delete the branch and main is untouched.
Create and switch to a branch
The modern, beginner-friendly command is git switch -c ("create and switch").
You'll also see the older git checkout -b everywhere — they do the same thing.
Start a new branch
Terminal
$ git switch -c feature-login
$ # older equivalent:
$ git checkout -b feature-login
In VS Code
- Click the branch name in the bottom-left status bar
- Choose Create new branch…
- Type a name and press Enter — you're now on it
Name branches for what they do: feature-login, fix-navbar, update-readme.
Switching between branches
git switch (or older git checkout) moves you between existing
branches. Your files instantly change to match that branch. Tip: commit or stash your work
before switching, so nothing is half-finished.
Move between branches
Terminal
$ git switch main
$ git switch feature-login
In VS Code
- Click the branch name in the status bar
- Pick the branch you want from the list
Listing branches
See all branches
Terminal
$ git branch
In VS Code
- Click the branch name in the status bar — the list shows every branch
- The current one is marked
The branch with a star (*) in the terminal output is the one you're on.
Deleting and renaming branches
Once a branch is merged, delete it to keep the list tidy — its commits live on in
main. Use -d for a merged branch and -D to force-delete one.
Tidy up branches
Terminal
$ git branch -d feature-login # delete a merged branch
$ git branch -D feature-login # force-delete (even if unmerged)
$ git branch -m old-name new-name # rename a branch
In VS Code
- Status-bar branch picker, or the Git Graph extension → right-click a branch → Delete / Rename
You can't delete the branch you're on — switch to main first. -d refuses unmerged branches to protect you; -D overrides that.
Quick switches
git switch - flips you back to the branch you were just on, like a "back" button.
To start working on a branch that exists on GitHub, fetch first, then switch to it by name.
Jump around quickly
Terminal
$ git switch - # toggle to the previous branch
$ git fetch
$ git switch their-feature # check out a branch that exists on the remote
In VS Code
- The status-bar picker lists remote branches too — choosing one checks it out locally
HEAD and the "tip" — the jargon decoded
- Tip — the newest commit on a branch. When you commit, the tip moves forward to your new commit.
- HEAD — a pointer to "where you are right now," normally the tip of your current branch. When you switch branches, HEAD moves with you.
You don't manage these by hand — Git moves them as you commit and switch. Just knowing the words means error messages and tutorials stop looking scary.
Seen "detached HEAD"? That's just HEAD pinned to an old commit instead of a branch — harmless, and one command gets you out. Detached HEAD, Explained covers both ways.
Practice this live: the playground lets you create branches and switch between them with a click, so you can see HEAD and the tips move.
Up next: bringing a branch back into main with merge (and the calmer truth about merge conflicts).