How to use a local branch hidden from a remote repository?

Question

git

We use the client repository on GitHub. We want to lead the development in advance, but not inform the client about it.
I created a local branch dev-hidden from the dev branch, and I commit the results of the work there. Then, when the customer approves the tasks and pays for them, I merge this branch into dev, remove dev-hidden, and push the dev commits to the client's github repo.
I tried this approach on a test repo in BitBucket and I didn't have any mention in my remote repo that the commits on the dev branch were previously dev-hidden and that those branches were merged. But in the case of the client turnip on GitHub, a surprise awaited me in the list of commits of the dev branch:

Merge branch 'dev-hiden' into dev

at the same time, there is no dev-hidden branch in this remote turnip.

Why did this happen, and how to avoid it 100%? Mergil via the PHPStorm GUI.

Answer 1

Fast Forward Merge

Answer 2

In addition to Fast Forward Merge, you can cherry-pick commits one at a time and create the illusion that you are actively working here and now