Software⏱️ 2 min read📅 2026-05-31

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

Git error message indicating untracked working tree files would be overwritten by merge.

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

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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