Whether you’re working on a team or managing your own project, it’s important to understand how to view the available branches in a Git repository. Git allows you to create, list, switch, and manage branches easily — and checking branches is a common task.
In this post, you’ll learn how to check all branches in Git, including local and remote branches.
📂 What Are Git Branches?
A branch in Git is a lightweight, movable pointer to a commit. Branches are used to develop features, fix bugs, or experiment without affecting the main codebase.
🧾 Check Local Branches
To view local branches (branches that exist on your machine):
git branch
This will list all branches stored locally. The currently checked-out branch will be highlighted with an asterisk (*).
Example output:
* main
feature/login
bugfix/header
🌐 Check Remote Branches
To list remote branches (branches that exist on a remote like GitHub):
git branch -r
Example output:
origin/main
origin/feature/login
origin/develop
🌍 Check All Branches (Local + Remote)
To view both local and remote branches:
git branch -a
Example output:
* main
feature/login
remotes/origin/main
remotes/origin/feature/login
This shows all branches tracked locally and remotely.
🔄 Update the List of Remote Branches
To make sure you’re seeing the most recent remote branches:
git fetch --all
This fetches the latest data from your remote repository without merging changes.
🧠 Summary of Commands
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| List local branches | git branch |
| List remote branches | git branch -r |
| List all branches | git branch -a |
| Fetch latest remote branches | git fetch --all |
🏁 Conclusion
Checking branches in Git is a simple but essential task. Whether you’re switching environments, merging changes, or collaborating with others, knowing how to view local and remote branches helps you stay in control of your codebase.
