Software⏱️ 2 min read📅 2026-06-02

How to Fix: Brew update failed: untracked working tree files would be overwritten by merge

Fix Brew update failed: untracked working tree files w. Run "git add" on the affected files befo. Step-by-step guide included.

Quick Answer: Run "git add" on the affected files before updating Homebrew with "brew update".

📋 Table of Contents

  1. 🚀 How to Resolve This Issue
  2. 💡 Conclusion

The error message you're seeing indicates that there are untracked working tree files in your Homebrew repository that would be overwritten by a merge. This is a common issue that can occur when using Git, especially if you've made changes to the repository without committing them.

🚀 How to Resolve This Issue

Method 1: Remove Untracked Files

  1. Step 1: Open a terminal and navigate to your Homebrew repository directory.

Method 2: Stage Untracked Files for Commit

  1. Step 1: Open a terminal and navigate to your Homebrew repository directory.
  2. Step 2: Run the command `git add .` to stage all untracked files in the repository.

💡 Conclusion

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the error and successfully update your Homebrew repository. Remember to commit any changes you've made before updating the repository.

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