How can I create and switch to a local Git branch without losing work?

A local branch is a name pointing to a commit. If you create one without specifying another starting point, it points to the commit your current HEAD identifies. Creating the branch alone does not switch you to it. [S2]

For the usual create-and-switch task, use:

git switch -c <branch-name>

That creates the branch at your current HEAD and switches to it. [S1] [S2] This does not mean your uncommitted edits have become a commit: branch names track commits, while your working-tree edits are a separate concern. Check and preserve those edits before switching.

First run:

git status

Review the result and decide whether each listed change is work you need to keep. The Git switch documentation recommends checking the repository and inspecting or preserving changes before switching. [S1] If you are unsure what a listed file contains, inspect it before proceeding; do not treat a branch switch as a backup.

For example, suppose you have edited draft.txt and want a branch called try-new-copy. If the edits are ready to record, commit them first. Then create and switch to the new branch:

git switch -c try-new-copy

This starts the branch at the current commit. [S1] [S2] The name try-new-copy is only an example; replace it with a meaningful name for your task.

Treat the refusal as a signal to preserve the changes before trying again. Git normally aborts a switch if updating the target branch would lose local changes. [S1] You can commit work that is ready to record, or stash work you want to set aside temporarily; both are preservation options described in the Git switch documentation. [S1]

After you have preserved the work, run git status again, then retry git switch -c <branch-name>. The status check helps you confirm what remains in the working tree; it does not prove that every important file or idea has been saved elsewhere. If you are not sure what your chosen commit or stash includes, inspect it using your usual Git workflow before switching.

Avoid git switch --discard-changes when you mean to keep your work: that option is specifically not the preservation route. [S1] The documented --merge option attempts to carry local modifications across, but Git may leave conflicts if it cannot reapply them cleanly. [S1] For a straightforward, lower-surprise workflow, preserve the work first, switch, then deal with the saved work deliberately.

A reusable sequence is:

1. Run git status and review the listed changes.
2. Commit changes you are ready to record, or stash unfinished changes.
3. Run git status again and check that you have handled the work you meant to preserve.
4. Run git switch -c <branch-name> to create and switch to the branch.
5. Confirm the branch and working-tree state before continuing.

These checks reduce the chance of an accidental loss, but they are not a substitute for a separate backup when a file is especially important.