Git integration

Review your changes and manage branches for the chat's workspace without leaving the conversation. Git integration uses your system git, so make sure git is installed and on your PATH.

Review changes

The Changes tab shows the diff of your uncommitted work against the last commit. Each file is a section you can expand or collapse, labeled with its path, a status icon (added, modified, or deleted), and its own added and removed counts. The diff refreshes on its own as the working tree changes.

The git diff tracker in the top toolbar summarizes those changes at a glance — the number of changed files with added (green) and removed (red) line counts — and opens the Changes tab when you select it.

Controls at the top of the tab let you:

  • Collapse all files to their headers, then expand just the ones you want.
  • Diff settings control how diffs are displayed, such as switching between a unified and split layout.
  • Hide file tree to give the diff more room, and show it again when you need it. Select a file in the file tree to jump to it in the diff.

The tab also handles the cases where there's nothing to show:

  • No changes — a clean working tree shows an empty state.
  • Not a git repository — offers to initialize git for the folder.
  • Diff too large — pauses live updates with an option to load it on demand.

Commit, push, and open a pull request

The commit control in the top toolbar turns your reviewed changes into commits and shares them. Its main button is a quick action that adapts to your branch's state, so it always offers the next sensible step. Open its dropdown to choose an action directly:

  • Commit — commit your current changes. Unavailable when the working tree is clean.
  • Push — push your commits to the remote. Needs a checked-out branch with an origin remote and local commits to send.
  • Create PR — open a pull request for the current branch. Needs committed work on a feature branch (not the default branch) with a GitHub origin remote. When a pull request already exists, the menu links to it as PR #N, color-coded by its state.

Switch and create branches

A branch switcher in the chat lets you move between branches for the workspace. The list is grouped into your default, recent, and other branches, and you can search it. Selecting a branch checks it out; choosing a remote branch creates a local tracking branch for it.

To start new work, create a branch from the switcher. You can base the new branch on your current branch or on the repository's default branch, and it's checked out as soon as it's created.

Work locally or in a new worktree

Beside the workspace in the chat, a mode control sets where a session's changes go:

  • Local repository — work in the repository already on your machine, on whatever branch is checked out. This is the default.
  • New worktree — create a separate copy for the session, based on a branch you pick, so your main checkout stays untouched while the agent works.

Kilo Desktop remembers your choice per workspace.

Set up git for a folder

If the workspace folder isn't a git repository yet, the Changes tab offers an Initialize Git action to create one, after which the diff and branch tools become available.

The branch switcher appears for regular repositories. For repositories that can't be used safely — bare, unsafe, or with no commits yet — Kilo Desktop shows a short explanation instead of a broken or misleading control.