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Last week I upgraded my Windows Github to Github Desktop.

It is certainly a lot faster than that last update they made for Github Windows. It also has a nice little visual timeline of commits and maybe I am being dumb, but the ability to delete local branches seems to be gone.

Before it was under “manage branches” (also gone). Any idea?

Update:

In v3.0.5 they have added the option to delete local branches from the gear menu. enter image description here

Bruffstar
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7 Answers7

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On Mac OSX:

for everyone having this problem with the latest version: Select the branch that you want to delete, go to "Branch" -> "Delete Branch"

Github Desktop (Mac OSX)

On Windows:

Github Desktop (Windows)

Kevin Crain
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ProblemsOfSumit
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Here's the answer I got from github CS when I contacted them about this:

Thu 2015-08-13 3:38 PM Hi Daniel, Sorry about that! We'll be adding the option to delete branches back in an upcoming release. For now however, here's how you can delete a branch from the Git Shell: Hit ~ in GitHub Desktop to open up the repository in the Git Shell Run 'git branch -d branch_name' When you create a new branch you should see an option to publish it directly in the comparison graph. Let me know if that doesn't make sense or if you have more questions - thanks and sorry for the inconvenience! Robert

I've noticed there is a delay (about 2 or 3 minutes) between deleting the local branch in the shell and git desktop realizing the change.

UPDATE

In 3.0.5 They added Delete the current branch from the gear menu.

danielml01
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  • Hi Daniel, thank you for your reply. I have been using Git Shell to delete branches and I have not had any delay on Github Desktop when the branch is deleted, strange. Nice to see that they have this fix in an upcoming release. – Bruffstar Sep 02 '15 at 15:19
  • @ danielml01 looks like the delete current branch has been added only for Windows version? – klode Sep 11 '15 at 21:38
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    @klode, I thought so as well, but you can find it under the "Branch" menu on the Mac client. – Brent Sep 22 '15 at 18:43
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In GitHub Desktop, you can delete the current branch here:

enter image description here

With the following dialog allowing you to delete it from remote as well:

enter image description here

Stefan Collier
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  • "Branch" -> "Delete..." is disabled in version 1.2.2? – CoderDave Jun 04 '18 at 20:37
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    (After seeing this) I just updated to 1.2.2, created a local branch then deleted that local branch with no issue. Could you post this as a new SO issue with images of the issue and we can debug it? – Stefan Collier Jun 05 '18 at 10:35
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In desktop, make sure you are in the correct branch, and press "ctr+shift+D".This should delete the branch, this method works in windows; I cant confirm for other Linux/Mac.

Liam Crowley
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  • Welcome to StackOverflow, add some more description and code if it's required to understand the answer because it will resolve someone else problem ASAP – Nensi Kasundra May 13 '20 at 04:49
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I personally confirmed that, on the new version, advanced branch management has been removed, and you can only delete branches from the website.

As a personal recommendation, you should give Atlassian SourceTree a try. Works like a charm, it's free (requires a free registration), and even when it's originally developed to work with Atlassian's BitBucket repositories, it also works well with GitHub.

And BTW, with SourceTree, you can remove GitHub branches :)

Hope it helps!

Cristian Meneses
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    If I delete a branch from the website... then, locally, it just says "publish" again, seems to be really no option to delete it, except from the command line. btw +1 for Source Tree, I have used it before, it is fantastic. – Bruffstar Aug 19 '15 at 22:18
  • plus 1 for source tree.. that just solved my issue. it does let you do it - yep – timothy Sep 01 '15 at 16:39
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Sometimes I have a strange behaviour with GitHub Desktop: when I delete a branch in GitHub Shell, the branch continues to shown into the drop-down menù of GitHub Desktop! ... same behaviour with the "Delete branch-name..." function of GitHub Desktop.

I solved with git show-refto list all refs

cf7c75b18e47a566f5bebccd3746f19fa426af4f refs/heads/master
cf7c75b18e47a566f5bebccd3746f19fa426af4f refs/remotes/origin/HEAD
540b3c8032f76ec13c84d6f40de885b996465dcb refs/remotes/origin/branch1
cf7c75b18e47a566f5bebccd3746f19fa426af4f refs/remotes/origin/branch2

when there are the ref to remote, GitHub Desktop can't delete at all the branch.

You can't remove a ref with git update-ref -d refs/remotes/origin/branch* and then you have 

cf7c75b18e47a566f5bebccd3746f19fa426af4f refs/heads/master
cf7c75b18e47a566f5bebccd3746f19fa426af4f refs/remotes/origin/HEAD

Now you can remove the branc with git branch -d branch*

Simone Dagli Orti
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0

I know this is a question about the GUI, but until the feature arrives, as a user of Github Desktop I find it easier to jump into the command line ctl + ^ and use the following. If you have a lot to delete it is easier than switching to each branch...

git branch -d <branch_name>
ow3n
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