How to Install Google Chrome on Linux Mint (22, 21)

Google Chrome is not in Linux Mint’s default repositories because it is proprietary software. To download and install Google Chrome on Linux Mint, you add Google’s official APT repository or grab the Flatpak from Flathub. Both methods work on Linux Mint 22 and 21 without version-specific steps. Chrome ships DevTools for front-end debugging and syncs bookmarks, passwords, and history across devices through your Google account.

Two installation paths cover different preferences: adding Google’s APT repository gives you all four Chrome builds (Stable, Beta, Unstable, Canary) with automatic updates, while Flatpak provides a sandboxed install with no repository setup at all. For a privacy-focused alternative without Google telemetry, see the guide on installing Chromium Browser on Linux Mint.

Choose Your Google Chrome Installation Method on Linux Mint

Google distributes Chrome through an official APT repository that works on all Ubuntu-based Linux Mint releases without version-specific configuration. You import the GPG key, create a DEB822 sources file, and APT handles the rest. Flatpak is the alternative if you prefer sandboxed apps with zero repository setup.

Method	Steps	Best For
APT Repository (Recommended)	6 commands	Full control over GPG keys and repository configuration; all four Chrome builds available
Flatpak	1 command	Users who prefer sandboxed apps with no repository configuration

The APT repository method is recommended because it provides all four Chrome builds with automatic updates through your regular system maintenance. Choose Flatpak if you prefer sandboxed apps with zero repository setup.

Understand Google Chrome Build Channels

Before installing, consider which Chrome build best fits your needs. Google maintains four parallel release channels, each serving different purposes:

Build	Release Cycle	Stability	Best For
Stable	Every 4 weeks	Thoroughly tested	Daily browsing, work, and general use
Beta	4-6 weeks ahead	Minor issues possible	Previewing upcoming features before public release
Unstable (Dev)	Weekly	May have bugs	Web developers testing with latest web platform features
Canary	Daily (nightly)	Expect instability	Testing bleeding-edge features; not for primary use

For most users, the Stable channel provides the best balance of features and reliability. If you develop websites or want early access to new features, consider installing Beta alongside Stable. Each build uses separate configuration directories, so you can run multiple versions simultaneously without conflicts.

Method 1: Install Google Chrome with APT Repository on Linux Mint

You import the GPG key, write a DEB822 sources file, and APT handles updates from there. The same repository serves Microsoft Edge on Linux Mint and other Chromium-based browsers through similar steps.

Update System Packages

Start by refreshing package metadata and applying any pending upgrades:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Upgrading is optional but makes sure your system has current TLS certificates and curl before downloading external keys.

This guide uses sudo for commands that need root privileges. If your account is not in the sudoers file yet, see how to create and add users to sudoers on Linux Mint.

Import Google Chrome GPG Key

Download Google’s package signing key and convert it to the binary format APT expects:

curl -fsSL https://dl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/google-chrome.gpg

gpg --dearmor converts the ASCII-armored key to binary format. The resulting file in /usr/share/keyrings/ stays valid for all future Chrome updates without reimport.

Add Google Chrome Repository

Create the repository configuration using the DEB822 .sources format:

cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.sources
Types: deb
URIs: https://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/
Suites: stable
Components: main
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/google-chrome.gpg
EOF

After adding the repository, refresh the package index to make the new packages available:

sudo apt update

Install Google Chrome

With the repository configured, install your preferred Chrome build. For most users, the Stable build is recommended:

sudo apt install google-chrome-stable -y

If you need other builds, install them using the corresponding package names:

Beta (preview upcoming features, roughly 4-6 weeks ahead of Stable):

sudo apt install google-chrome-beta -y

Unstable (Dev) (early development builds for testing new features):

sudo apt install google-chrome-unstable -y

Canary (nightly builds with cutting-edge features):

sudo apt install google-chrome-canary -y

Beta, Unstable, and Canary builds are not recommended for production systems or primary computers. Use them only for testing new features in non-critical environments. The Stable build receives thorough testing before release and is suitable for daily use.

Remove Duplicate Google Chrome Repository Files

Google’s Chrome installer creates legacy .list repository files on first install, even though you already configured a .sources file. These duplicates cause “Target Packages is configured multiple times” warnings, and each Chrome build you install creates its own file (google-chrome.list, google-chrome-beta.list, google-chrome-unstable.list). Remove them:

sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome*.list
sudo apt update

The -f flag prevents errors if no .list files exist. Once removed, the files do not reappear during Chrome updates because Google’s installer creates them only on first install. A reinstallation would recreate them.

Verify Google Chrome Installation

Confirm the installation succeeded by checking the installed version:

google-chrome-stable --version

Google Chrome 145.0.7632.116

Method 2: Install Google Chrome with Flatpak on Linux Mint

Flatpak runs Chrome in a sandbox and skips repository configuration entirely. Linux Mint ships with Flatpak and Flathub pre-configured, so a single command handles everything:

sudo flatpak install flathub com.google.Chrome -y

The sudo prefix installs Chrome system-wide so all user accounts on the machine can access it. Flatpak pulls the runtime dependencies automatically on first install.

A Dev build is also available on Flathub for testing upcoming features:

sudo flatpak install flathub com.google.ChromeDev -y

Flatpak Chrome runs inside a sandbox, which means it cannot access files outside ~/ by default and may not integrate with some system-level features like native file managers or password managers. The APT method provides tighter desktop integration if that matters for your workflow.

Verify Google Chrome Flatpak Installation

Check the installed Flatpak version:

flatpak run com.google.Chrome --version

Google Chrome 145.0.7632.116

Launch Google Chrome on Linux Mint

Chrome appears in the applications menu immediately after installation regardless of the method you used.

Launch Google Chrome from Terminal

Open a terminal from the applications menu and launch Chrome with the command matching your installed build:

google-chrome-stable

For other versions, use the corresponding command:

google-chrome-beta
google-chrome-unstable
google-chrome-canary

Launch Google Chrome from Applications Menu

In Linux Mint, Chrome appears under the Internet category in the applications menu:

Menu > Internet > Google Chrome

On first launch, Chrome asks to become the default browser and requests permission to send usage statistics. Decline both if you want to keep Firefox as default and minimize data sent to Google.

Chrome works fully without a Google account. Signing in unlocks cross-device sync for bookmarks, passwords, and history, but it is entirely optional.

Manage Google Chrome on Linux Mint

Update Google Chrome on Linux Mint

Google Chrome updates automatically through the APT package manager when you run system updates. A full system upgrade picks up any pending Chrome release:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

To update only Chrome without affecting other packages:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --only-upgrade google-chrome-stable

This targeted approach is useful when you need the latest Chrome version immediately but want to delay other system updates.

Flatpak installs update separately from APT. For broader Flatpak maintenance, see how to upgrade Flatpak on Linux Mint:

sudo flatpak update com.google.Chrome

Uninstall Google Chrome

Remove the Chrome package and its configuration files with --purge:

sudo apt remove google-chrome-stable --purge
sudo apt autoremove

autoremove cleans up any dependencies that were pulled in only for Chrome and are no longer needed.

Flatpak installs use a separate removal command:

sudo flatpak uninstall com.google.Chrome
sudo flatpak uninstall --unused

The --unused flag removes runtimes that no other Flatpak application needs.

If you installed multiple APT versions, remove each one separately using the corresponding package name:

sudo apt remove google-chrome-beta --purge
sudo apt remove google-chrome-unstable --purge
sudo apt remove google-chrome-canary --purge
sudo apt autoremove

Remove Google Chrome Repository

After uninstalling Chrome, remove the repository configuration to stop receiving update notifications for a package you no longer use:

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.sources
sudo rm /usr/share/keyrings/google-chrome.gpg

Finally, refresh your package index to apply the repository changes:

sudo apt update

Remove Google Chrome User Data (Optional)

After uninstalling Chrome, you can optionally remove your personal data to complete the cleanup.

The commands below permanently delete your Google Chrome user data including bookmarks, saved passwords, browsing history, cookies, extensions, and settings. Export any data you want to keep before proceeding. This action cannot be undone.

APT installs store data in ~/.config/ and ~/.cache/:

rm -rf ~/.config/google-chrome/
rm -rf ~/.cache/google-chrome/

Flatpak installs store data in a separate sandbox directory:

rm -rf ~/.var/app/com.google.Chrome/

If you installed Beta, Unstable, or Canary versions, they use separate directories that also need removal:

rm -rf ~/.config/google-chrome-beta/
rm -rf ~/.config/google-chrome-unstable/
rm -rf ~/.config/google-chrome-canary/
rm -rf ~/.cache/google-chrome-beta/
rm -rf ~/.cache/google-chrome-unstable/
rm -rf ~/.cache/google-chrome-canary/

Troubleshoot Google Chrome Issues on Linux Mint

Fix Google Chrome Duplicate Repository Warnings

When installing multiple Chrome versions (stable, beta, unstable, canary), each installation package may create its own legacy repository file. This causes duplicate source warnings when running apt update:

W: Target Packages (main/binary-amd64/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome-beta.list:3 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome-unstable.list:3

Google’s installer creates legacy .list files on first install regardless of existing .sources files. Since both files point to the same repository, APT sees duplicate entries.

Check which repository files exist in the sources directory:

ls -la /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome*

Example output showing duplicate .list files alongside the .sources file:

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  189 Jul 10 10:00 google-chrome-beta.list
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  189 Jul 10 10:00 google-chrome-unstable.list
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  189 Jul 10 10:00 google-chrome.list
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  250 Jul 10 10:00 google-chrome.sources

To fix this issue, remove the duplicate legacy .list files and keep only your .sources file:

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome*.list

Refresh the package index to confirm the warnings are gone:

sudo apt update

The .list files do not reappear during routine Chrome updates. They are only recreated if you reinstall the Chrome package. If you see duplicate warnings after a reinstall, remove the .list files again with the same command.

Restore Missing Google Chrome Repository Configuration

If you accidentally deleted your repository configuration and Chrome no longer receives updates, recreate it using the APT repository steps described in Method 1.

Verify whether your repository is working correctly:

apt-cache policy google-chrome-stable

If the output shows a candidate version from dl.google.com, your repository is configured correctly:

google-chrome-stable:
  Installed: 145.0.7632.116-1
  Candidate: 145.0.7632.116-1
  Version table:
 *** 145.0.7632.116-1 500
        500 http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb stable/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

If instead the output shows “N: Unable to locate package,” your repository configuration is missing or incorrect. Follow the installation steps again to restore it.

Frequently Asked Questions About Google Chrome on Linux Mint

Conclusion

Chrome is installed and receiving automatic updates. The APT repository method gives you all four builds with full desktop integration; Flatpak trades that for a sandboxed environment. If Google telemetry is a concern, Chromium Browser on Linux Mint strips the proprietary bits, and LibreWolf on Linux Mint hardens defaults further. For a secondary Chromium-based browser with a different feature set, see Microsoft Edge on Linux Mint.