Git reset explained: soft, mixed and hard

All three modes move the current branch to the commit you name. `--soft` keeps every change staged, `--mixed` (the default) keeps them in your working folder unstaged, and `--hard` discards them. To undo your last commit but keep the work, run git reset --soft HEAD~1. Use --hard only when you are sure, because it deletes uncommitted changes for good.

What is the difference between soft, mixed and hard?

Git keeps three copies of your work: the commit history, the staging area and the working folder. Reset always moves the first. The mode decides whether it also rewrites the other two.

When should I use git reset --soft?

Use it to undo commits while keeping every change staged, ready to commit again. It is the quickest way to squash a branch into one commit:

# undo the last commit, keep the changes staged
git reset --soft HEAD~1

# squash everything since main into one commit
git reset --soft main
git commit -m "feat(search): quick open"

When should I use git reset --mixed?

It is the default, so git reset means git reset --mixed. Use it to undo commits and split the work differently, or to unstage files:

# undo the last two commits, keep the changes unstaged
git reset HEAD~2

# unstage one file (the branch does not move)
git reset src/search.ts

For unstaging, git restore --staged src/search.ts does the same job and reads more clearly.

When should I use git reset --hard?

# drop the last commit and its changes
git reset --hard HEAD~1

# match the remote exactly
git fetch origin
git reset --hard origin/main

How do I remove a commit from a branch?

git revert keeps history intact, so it is the only safe choice on a shared branch. Resetting a pushed branch needs a force push and breaks your teammates’ clones. Interactive rebase and cherry-pick have their own guides.

How do I undo a git reset?

Reset moved the branch, and the reflog remembers where it was:

git reflog
# 3e52f10 HEAD@{0}: reset: moving to HEAD~2
# 9b3c7d1 HEAD@{1}: commit: add search box

git reset --hard 9b3c7d1

This brings back commits, including after --hard. Files that were staged but never committed can sometimes be found with git fsck --lost-found. Changes that were never staged are gone. Undo a reset, rebase or commit covers every case.

What is the difference between reset, revert and restore?

See reset a branch to a commit for the details, and the reset modes lesson to practise on a safe repository.