diff --git a/src/scripto/core/update.py b/src/scripto/core/update.py
index 8a5484d..b3b9129 100644
--- a/src/scripto/core/update.py
+++ b/src/scripto/core/update.py
@@ -26,21 +26,50 @@ def repo_root() -> Path | None:
 @dataclass
 class UpdateStatus:
     ok: bool  # the check itself succeeded
-    behind: int = 0  # commits behind upstream
+    behind: int = 0  # commits behind (upstream, or the release branch)
     dirty: bool = False  # local uncommitted changes
     detail: str = ""  # short human-readable error when not ok
+    branch: str = ""  # currently checked-out branch
+    release_branch: str = "main"  # the branch in-app updates track
 
 
 def check(root: Path) -> UpdateStatus:
-    """Fetches upstream and reports how far behind this checkout is."""
+    """Fetches upstream and reports how far behind this checkout is.
+
+    Updates track the release branch: on any other branch (a dev checkout)
+    the count is informational — HEAD vs the release branch — and the GUI
+    says "switch to main" instead of pretending everything is up to date.
+    """
     dirty = _is_dirty(root)
+    branch_proc = _git(root, "rev-parse", "--abbrev-ref", "HEAD")
+    branch = branch_proc.stdout.strip() if branch_proc.returncode == 0 else ""
     fetch = _git(root, "fetch", "--quiet", timeout=120)
     if fetch.returncode != 0:
-        return UpdateStatus(ok=False, dirty=dirty, detail=_last_line(fetch.stderr))
+        return UpdateStatus(ok=False, dirty=dirty, branch=branch,
+                            detail=_last_line(fetch.stderr))
+
+    release = _release_branch(root)
+    if branch != release:
+        behind = _git(root, "rev-list", "--count", f"HEAD..origin/{release}")
+        count = int(behind.stdout.strip() or "0") if behind.returncode == 0 else 0
+        return UpdateStatus(ok=True, behind=count, dirty=dirty,
+                            branch=branch, release_branch=release)
+
     behind = _git(root, "rev-list", "--count", "HEAD..@{upstream}")
     if behind.returncode != 0:
-        return UpdateStatus(ok=False, dirty=dirty, detail=_last_line(behind.stderr))
-    return UpdateStatus(ok=True, behind=int(behind.stdout.strip() or "0"), dirty=dirty)
+        return UpdateStatus(ok=False, dirty=dirty, branch=branch,
+                            release_branch=release,
+                            detail=_last_line(behind.stderr))
+    return UpdateStatus(ok=True, behind=int(behind.stdout.strip() or "0"),
+                        dirty=dirty, branch=branch, release_branch=release)
+
+
+def _release_branch(root: Path) -> str:
+    """The remote's default branch (what updates follow); main as fallback."""
+    proc = _git(root, "symbolic-ref", "--short", "refs/remotes/origin/HEAD")
+    if proc.returncode == 0 and proc.stdout.strip():
+        return proc.stdout.strip().split("/", 1)[-1]
+    return "main"
 
 
 def pull(root: Path) -> tuple[bool, str]:
@@ -53,6 +82,24 @@ def pull(root: Path) -> tuple[bool, str]:
     return True, _last_line(proc.stdout)
 
 
+def update_to_release(root: Path) -> tuple[bool, str]:
+    """Checkout the release branch (if needed) and fast-forward it.
+
+    The one entry point the GUI's Update button uses: from main it is just
+    a pull; from a dev branch it switches to main first. Same safety
+    contract as pull() — a dirty tree is refused, never touched.
+    """
+    if _is_dirty(root):
+        return False, "local changes"
+    release = _release_branch(root)
+    current = _git(root, "rev-parse", "--abbrev-ref", "HEAD")
+    if current.stdout.strip() != release:
+        proc = _git(root, "checkout", release, timeout=120)
+        if proc.returncode != 0:
+            return False, _last_line(proc.stderr)
+    return pull(root)
+
+
 def spawn_restart(root: Path) -> None:
     """Starts a fresh detached ``uv run scripto``; the caller then closes
     this instance. The new process re-resolves dependencies, so a pulled
diff --git a/src/scripto/gui_qt/settings_page.py b/src/scripto/gui_qt/settings_page.py
index 3df54ef..5359b4f 100644
--- a/src/scripto/gui_qt/settings_page.py
+++ b/src/scripto/gui_qt/settings_page.py
@@ -472,6 +472,18 @@ def apply() -> None:
                 self.message.setText(
                     self.t("gui.update_check_failed", detail=status.detail)
                 )
+            elif status.dirty and status.branch != status.release_branch:
+                self.message.setText(self.t(
+                    "gui.update_branch_dirty", branch=status.branch,
+                ))
+            elif status.branch != status.release_branch:
+                self.message.setText(self.t(
+                    "gui.update_on_branch",
+                    branch=status.branch, main=status.release_branch,
+                ))
+                self.note.setText(self.t("gui.update_restart_note"))
+                self.note.show()
+                self.update_btn.show()
             elif status.behind == 0:
                 self.message.setText(self.t("gui.update_uptodate"))
             elif status.dirty:
@@ -497,7 +509,7 @@ def _do_update(self) -> None:
         root = up.repo_root()
 
         def job() -> None:
-            ok, detail = up.pull(root)
+            ok, detail = up.update_to_release(root)
 
             def apply() -> None:
                 if not ok:
diff --git a/src/scripto/i18n/en.py b/src/scripto/i18n/en.py
index d76c236..d118e7b 100644
--- a/src/scripto/i18n/en.py
+++ b/src/scripto/i18n/en.py
@@ -149,6 +149,8 @@
     "gui.update_not_checkout": "This copy does not run from a git checkout, so it cannot self-update.",
     "gui.update_running": "Stop the current run before updating.",
     "gui.update_uptodate": "Already up to date.",
+    "gui.update_on_branch": "This checkout is on branch {branch}. Updating switches to {main} and pulls the latest code.",
+    "gui.update_branch_dirty": "This checkout is on branch {branch} with local changes — commit or stash them, then update.",
     "gui.update_behind": "{count} new commit(s) available.",
     "gui.update_dirty": "{count} new commit(s) available, but the checkout has local changes — update it manually (commit or stash first).",
     "gui.update_restart_note": "Updating pulls the latest code and restarts Scripto; dependencies sync on the next launch.",
diff --git a/src/scripto/i18n/zh.py b/src/scripto/i18n/zh.py
index 0f89bf7..bac254e 100644
--- a/src/scripto/i18n/zh.py
+++ b/src/scripto/i18n/zh.py
@@ -149,6 +149,8 @@
     "gui.update_not_checkout": "当前副本不是从 git 检出运行的，无法自动更新。",
     "gui.update_running": "请先停止正在进行的任务再更新。",
     "gui.update_uptodate": "已是最新版本。",
+    "gui.update_on_branch": "当前检出在分支 {branch} 上。更新将切换到 {main} 并拉取最新代码。",
+    "gui.update_branch_dirty": "当前分支 {branch} 有未提交的本地改动——请先提交或 stash，再更新。",
     "gui.update_behind": "有 {count} 个新提交可更新。",
     "gui.update_dirty": "有 {count} 个新提交，但检出目录有本地改动——请先手动处理（提交或 stash）再更新。",
     "gui.update_restart_note": "更新会拉取最新代码并重启 Scripto；依赖在下次启动时自动同步。",
diff --git a/tests/test_update.py b/tests/test_update.py
index d0e555b..458a440 100644
--- a/tests/test_update.py
+++ b/tests/test_update.py
@@ -72,3 +72,36 @@ def test_pull_refuses_a_dirty_clone(tmp_path):
     assert not ok
     assert detail == "local changes"
     assert not (clone / "two.txt").exists()
+
+
+def test_check_flags_a_non_release_branch(tmp_path):
+    upstream, clone = _make_pair(tmp_path)
+    _git(clone, "checkout", "-b", "feature")
+    _commit(upstream, "two.txt")
+
+    status = update.check(clone)
+    assert status.ok
+    assert status.branch == "feature"
+    assert status.release_branch == "main"
+    assert status.behind == 1  # informational: main moved on without us
+
+
+def test_update_to_release_switches_to_main_and_pulls(tmp_path):
+    upstream, clone = _make_pair(tmp_path)
+    _git(clone, "checkout", "-b", "feature")
+    _commit(upstream, "two.txt")
+
+    ok, _detail = update.update_to_release(clone)
+    assert ok
+    assert _git(clone, "rev-parse", "--abbrev-ref", "HEAD").strip() == "main"
+    assert (clone / "two.txt").is_file()  # latest release code is present
+
+
+def test_update_to_release_refuses_a_dirty_branch(tmp_path):
+    _upstream, clone = _make_pair(tmp_path)
+    _git(clone, "checkout", "-b", "feature")
+    (clone / "wip.txt").write_text("wip", encoding="utf-8")
+
+    ok, detail = update.update_to_release(clone)
+    assert not ok and detail == "local changes"
+    assert _git(clone, "rev-parse", "--abbrev-ref", "HEAD").strip() == "feature"