This version of GitHub Enterprise Server was discontinued on 2024-07-09. No patch releases will be made, even for critical security issues. For better performance, improved security, and new features, upgrade to the latest version of GitHub Enterprise Server. For help with the upgrade, contact GitHub Enterprise support.

Viewing the branch history in GitHub Desktop

You can see details about any commit in GitHub Desktop, including a diff of the changes the commit introduced.

Platform navigation

Each commit shows:

  • The commit message
  • The time the commit was created
  • The committer's username and profile photo (if available)
  • The commit's SHA-1 hash (the unique ID)

  1. In the left sidebar, click History.

    Screenshot of the "History" tab in the sidebar. Above a list of commits, the tab button, labeled "History", is highlighted with an orange outline.

  2. On the History tab, click the commit you'd like to review.

    You can also select a range of multiple consecutive commits using Command or Shift.

    You can also select a range of multiple consecutive commits using Ctrl or Shift.

    Screenshot of a list of commits in the "History" tab. Three consecutive selected commits are highlighted in blue and outlined in orange.

  3. If there are multiple files in the commit or range of commits, click on an individual file to see the changes made to that file.

    Screenshot of a commit view. To the right of the "History" tab, in a list of files, the "hello.txt" file is selected and highlighted with an orange outline.

Further reading