How to Install Discord on Ubuntu

Discord is a communication platform for creating communities with voice, video, and text chat. Whether you’re coordinating with gaming teams, managing developer communities, or organizing study groups, Discord provides real-time voice channels, screen sharing, and persistent text channels. As a result, by the end of this guide, you’ll have Discord installed on Ubuntu with your preferred method, verified and ready to join servers and start conversations.

This guide covers three Ubuntu installation methods: the official .deb package for system-level installation, Snap for automatic updates in a sandboxed environment, or Flatpak with Flathub for another sandboxed option. Throughout this guide, you’ll learn installation procedures, update workflows, and removal steps for each method.

Choose Your Discord Installation Method

Discord offers three installation paths on Ubuntu, each with different update mechanisms and isolation levels. Before proceeding, choose the method that best fits your workflow and system preferences.

Method	Channel	Update Mechanism	Isolation	Best For
.deb Package	Discord Official	Manual reinstall required	System-level install	Users who prefer official packages with direct Discord support
Snap	Snapcraft	Automatic background updates	Sandboxed environment	Users who want hands-off updates with automatic security patches
Flatpak	Flathub	Manual update command	Sandboxed environment	Users who prefer Flathub ecosystem with granular permissions

For most users, Snap is recommended because it provides automatic updates without configuration. In comparison, the .deb method is best for users who want the official package with manual update control, while Flatpak suits those who prefer the Flathub ecosystem or need specific sandboxing permissions.

This guide supports Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, 24.04 LTS, and 26.04 LTS installations. All three methods work identically on all supported LTS releases. Discord’s official .deb package, Snapcraft, and Flathub all maintain current Ubuntu LTS support.

Method 1: Install Discord via .deb

This method installs Discord as a system-level Debian package downloaded directly from Discord’s official website. Essentially, you’ll download the .deb file using wget and install it with APT, giving you full control over when updates occur.

Download the Discord .deb for Ubuntu

Most Ubuntu systems include wget by default, but minimal installations or containers may lack it. If needed, install wget first:

sudo apt install wget -y

Next, download the latest version of Discord as a Debian package:

wget "https://discord.com/api/download?platform=linux&format=deb" -O discord.deb

This command uses wget to download the Discord package from the official Discord API. The -O discord.deb flag specifies the output filename, ensuring consistent naming regardless of how Discord names the file on their server.

Install Discord via .deb package

Once the download completes, install the Discord Debian package:

sudo apt install ./discord.deb -y

APT installs the downloaded discord.deb file along with any required dependencies. As a result, all libraries Discord needs are automatically resolved. The -y flag automatically confirms the installation prompt.

Verify Discord .deb Installation

Next, confirm Discord installed successfully by checking the binary location and version:

which discord

The expected output confirms the binary location:

/usr/bin/discord

You can also check the package status with dpkg:

dpkg -l | grep discord

The expected output shows the installed status:

ii  discord    0.0.119    amd64    Chat for Communities and Friends

Method 2: Install Discord via Snap

Alternatively, Snap provides Discord in a sandboxed environment with automatic background updates. Since Ubuntu ships with Snap pre-installed, this is the quickest installation method for most users.

Install Discord using the snap command

To get started, install Discord with a single command:

sudo snap install discord

Snapd downloads and installs Discord from the Snap Store. Once installed, updates happen automatically in the background without any configuration required.

Verify Discord Snap Installation

After installation, confirm the Snap installation succeeded:

snap list | grep discord

The expected output shows Discord with version and publisher:

discord    0.0.119    175    latest/stable    snapcrafters    -

Method 3: Install Discord via Flatpak and Flathub

As a third option, Flatpak provides a sandboxed application environment, allowing Discord to run isolated from system libraries. However, this method requires adding the Flathub repository before installation.

Flatpak is not pre-installed on Ubuntu. If you have not set it up yet, install it with sudo apt install flatpak and restart your session before continuing. For detailed setup including the Flathub repository, follow our Flatpak installation guide for Ubuntu.

Add the Flathub Repository for Discord

Before installing Discord via Flatpak, add the Flathub repository:

sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

This command adds Flathub to your system, enabling access to Discord and thousands of other applications. The --if-not-exists flag prevents errors if Flathub is already configured.

Install Discord via Flatpak Command

With Flathub configured, install Discord:

sudo flatpak install flathub com.discordapp.Discord -y

Flatpak installs Discord from Flathub as a system-wide application available to all users. Consequently, all accounts on the system can access the application. The -y flag automatically confirms the installation.

Verify Discord Flatpak Installation

Next, confirm Discord installed from Flathub:

flatpak list --app | grep -i discord

The expected output shows the application details:

Discord    com.discordapp.Discord    stable    system

For more detailed information about the installation:

flatpak info com.discordapp.Discord

The expected output confirms origin and version:

          ID: com.discordapp.Discord
         Ref: app/com.discordapp.Discord/x86_64/stable
        Arch: x86_64
      Branch: stable
     Version: 0.0.119
      Origin: flathub
Installation: system

Launch Discord via GUI or CLI

Launch Discord from Terminal

After installation, you can launch Discord from the terminal using the command that matches your installation method:

If you installed Discord via the .deb package, simply type:

discord

Alternatively, if you used Flatpak, run the following command:

flatpak run com.discordapp.Discord

Similarly, Snap installations use this command:

snap run discord

Launch Discord from Applications Menu

For everyday use, launch Discord from your desktop environment:

1. Open the Activities menu by pressing the Super key or clicking the top-left corner.
2. Type “Discord” in the search field or click Show Applications to browse all installed apps.
3. Click the Discord icon to launch the application.

Update and Remove Discord

Update Discord

Discord handles in-client updates automatically for minor features and patches. However, major version upgrades require manual intervention depending on your installation method.

Update Discord via .deb Package

With .deb installations, Discord notifies you when a new version is available but cannot update itself. Therefore, to update, download and reinstall the package:

wget "https://discord.com/api/download?platform=linux&format=deb" -O discord.deb
sudo apt install ./discord.deb -y

Update Discord via Snap

In contrast, Snap updates Discord automatically in the background, typically within a few hours of new releases. However, to manually trigger an update immediately:

sudo snap refresh discord

Alternatively, refresh all installed Snap packages at once:

sudo snap refresh

Update Discord via Flatpak

Similarly, to update Discord installed via Flatpak:

sudo flatpak update com.discordapp.Discord

Or, to update all Flatpak applications at once:

sudo flatpak update

Remove Discord

If you need to remove Discord from your Ubuntu system, use the command that matches your installation method.

Remove Discord via .deb Package

First, for .deb installations, remove the Discord package and its configuration files:

sudo apt remove --purge discord -y

Next, remove unused dependencies that were installed with Discord:

sudo apt autoremove -y

Finally, verify removal:

which discord || echo "Discord successfully removed"

The .deb installation stores user data and configuration separately from the package. To completely remove all Discord data including your login session, cached files, and settings:

The following command permanently deletes all Discord user data including your cached messages, uploaded files, and login credentials. Back up any important data first if needed.

rm -rf ~/.config/discord

Remove Discord via Snap

Second, for Snap installations, remove Discord with the purge flag to delete all application data:

sudo snap remove --purge discord

Then, verify the removal completed successfully:

snap list | grep discord || echo "Discord successfully removed"

Remove Discord via Flatpak

Third, for Flatpak installations, uninstall Discord along with its application data:

sudo flatpak uninstall --delete-data com.discordapp.Discord -y

Next, remove any unused runtimes and dependencies that were only needed by Discord:

sudo flatpak uninstall --unused -y

Then, verify the removal:

flatpak list --app | grep discord || echo "Discord successfully removed"

Note that Flatpak stores user data separately from the application. The --delete-data flag removes most application data, but some cached files may remain. To completely remove all traces:

The following command permanently deletes all Discord Flatpak data including cached messages, uploaded files, and login credentials. Back up any important data first if needed.

rm -rf ~/.var/app/com.discordapp.Discord

Troubleshooting Discord on Ubuntu

Discord Fails to Launch

If Discord opens briefly then closes, or fails to start at all, the issue is often related to cached data or GPU acceleration. First, try clearing the Discord cache:

rm -rf ~/.config/discord/Cache
rm -rf ~/.config/discord/GPUCache

For Flatpak installations, clear the equivalent directories:

rm -rf ~/.var/app/com.discordapp.Discord/config/discord/Cache
rm -rf ~/.var/app/com.discordapp.Discord/config/discord/GPUCache

For Snap installations, the cache is stored within the Snap data directory:

rm -rf ~/snap/discord/current/.config/discord/Cache
rm -rf ~/snap/discord/current/.config/discord/GPUCache

If cache clearing does not resolve the issue, try launching Discord from the terminal to see error messages:

discord --verbose

Audio or Microphone Not Working

Discord on Linux uses PulseAudio or PipeWire for audio. If voice chat does not work, first verify your audio system is functioning correctly:

pactl info | grep "Server Name"

The expected output shows PulseAudio or PipeWire:

Server Name: PulseAudio (on PipeWire 0.3.x)

Additionally, for Flatpak or Snap installations, the sandboxed environment may block audio device access. Check Discord’s audio settings within the application and ensure the correct input and output devices are selected. If using Flatpak, you can grant additional permissions using Flatseal or the command line.

Screen Share Shows Black Screen

Screen sharing on Wayland (the default display server on Ubuntu 22.04 and newer) requires XDG Desktop Portal support. If screen share displays a black screen, install the portal packages:

sudo apt install xdg-desktop-portal xdg-desktop-portal-gnome -y

After installation, log out and back in for the changes to take effect. Alternatively, you can switch to an X11 session from the login screen by clicking the gear icon and selecting “Ubuntu on Xorg” before logging in.

Discord Prompts for Update but Installation Fails

When Discord detects a newer version, it may prompt you to update. For .deb installations, Discord cannot update itself automatically. Instead, download and reinstall the latest package using the commands from the Update section above. If the update prompt persists after reinstalling, clear the update cache:

rm -rf ~/.config/discord/*/modules

Then relaunch Discord. For Snap and Flatpak installations, use their respective update commands instead of responding to Discord’s built-in update prompt.

Conclusion

At this point, Discord is installed on your Ubuntu system using the method that best fits your workflow. Notably, the .deb package provides direct system integration with manual updates, Snap handles updates automatically in the background, and Flatpak offers sandboxed isolation with Flathub’s curated application ecosystem. All three methods deliver the complete Discord experience with voice, video, and text communication.

Looking for alternative communication platforms? Consider Slack on Ubuntu for professional team collaboration, Telegram on Ubuntu for lightweight messaging with privacy features, or Signal on Ubuntu for end-to-end encrypted communications.