How to Install Google Earth on Ubuntu (26.04, 24.04, 22.04)

Historical imagery, 3D terrain, and GIS imports still make Google Earth Pro useful when a browser map is not enough. You can install Google Earth on Ubuntu with Google’s official APT repository or a Flatpak build from Flathub, and the current package now works on Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04, and 22.04.

For most systems, Google’s repository is the cleaner path because Google Earth is not in Ubuntu’s default repositories and the repo delivers the newest official Linux build with normal APT updates. Google still publishes a direct .deb download, but it installs the same package and is harder to keep tidy than the repository method. Flatpak is the sandboxed alternative if you already use Flathub, and the steps here also cover the legacy source-file workaround, launch commands, updates, removal, and the minimal-install fixes that still matter.

Install Google Earth on Ubuntu

Ubuntu gives you two practical installation paths for Google Earth Pro, depending on whether you want Google’s newest Linux package or a sandboxed desktop build.

Method	Channel	Version	Updates	Best For
APT (Official repository)	Google Repository	Latest stable	sudo apt upgrade	Users who want Google’s newest official Linux release and normal APT updates
Flatpak	Flathub	Stable Flathub build	sudo flatpak update	Users who prefer sandboxed desktop apps or already rely on Flatpak

This guide covers Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, 24.04 LTS, and 22.04 LTS on amd64 systems. Google’s current APT package and the Flathub build both install on the supported Ubuntu LTS releases, so the older libxml2 dependency problem no longer blocks Ubuntu 26.04.

Update Ubuntu Before Installing Google Earth

Refresh your package lists first so Google Earth installs against current system libraries and package metadata.

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

This guide uses sudo for commands that need root privileges. If your user is not in the sudoers file yet, see how to add a sudo user on Ubuntu.

Install Google Earth from Google’s APT Repository

The APT method gives you Google’s newest official Linux package. Ubuntu installs the package as google-earth-pro-stable, while the launcher command and desktop menu entry use google-earth-pro and Google Earth Pro.

Install the packages needed for secure downloads, key handling, and desktop menu integration:

sudo apt install ca-certificates curl gpg xdg-utils -y

The -y flag accepts the package prompt automatically. This installs certificate handling for HTTPS downloads, the curl command for fetching the key, gpg for APT signature verification, and xdg-utils for the desktop launcher helpers Google Earth expects on minimal Ubuntu installs. Standard Ubuntu desktop systems usually already have those helper commands, but minimal or server-style images often do not.

Import Google’s signing key into a dedicated APT keyring:

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

The -fsSL flags tell curl to fail on HTTP errors, stay quiet unless something breaks, and follow redirects. The --dearmor flag converts the downloaded key into the binary format APT expects.

Create a DEB822 source file for the Google Earth repository:

cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-earth.sources
Types: deb
URIs: https://dl.google.com/linux/earth/deb/
Suites: stable
Components: main
Architectures: amd64
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/google-earth.gpg
EOF

The sudo tee part matters because plain > redirection does not inherit sudo. This writes the repository file with root privileges while keeping the source definition readable in one block.

Google Earth can still drop a legacy google-earth-pro.list file during installation. Pre-creating it as read-only keeps your DEB822 source file authoritative:

sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-earth-pro.list
sudo touch /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-earth-pro.list
sudo chmod 444 /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-earth-pro.list

Refresh APT and confirm Ubuntu can see the Google Earth package:

sudo apt update
apt-cache policy google-earth-pro-stable

google-earth-pro-stable:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 7.3.7.1094-r0
  Version table:
     7.3.7.1094-r0 500
        500 https://dl.google.com/linux/earth/deb stable/main amd64 Packages

Install Google Earth Pro once the repository check shows the package candidate:

sudo apt install google-earth-pro-stable -y

Verify the installed package version with dpkg-query:

dpkg-query -W -f='${binary:Package} ${Version}\n' google-earth-pro-stable

google-earth-pro-stable 7.3.7.1094-r0

Google updates this package in place, so your installed version may be newer than the example shown here.

Install Google Earth with Flatpak on Ubuntu

Flathub provides a sandboxed Google Earth Pro build that works across the supported Ubuntu LTS releases. This package is community-maintained and Flathub explicitly notes that it is not verified by, affiliated with, or supported by Google.

Flatpak is not installed by default on Ubuntu. If you need it first, see how to install Flatpak on Ubuntu.

Add the Flathub remote at system scope and keep the command idempotent with --if-not-exists:

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

Install the Google Earth Pro Flatpak from Flathub:

sudo flatpak install flathub com.google.EarthPro -y

Flatpak will pull the required runtime automatically during the first install. Confirm the app ID, branch, and version after installation:

flatpak info com.google.EarthPro

Google Earth Pro - 3D planet viewer

          ID: com.google.EarthPro
         Ref: app/com.google.EarthPro/x86_64/stable
        Arch: x86_64
      Branch: stable
     Version: 7.3.6
     License: LicenseRef-proprietary
      Origin: flathub
  Collection: org.flathub.Stable
Installation: system

The Flathub build can lag behind Google’s repository, so use the APT method when the newest official Linux release matters more than sandboxing.

Launch Google Earth on Ubuntu

Google Earth Pro can be launched from the terminal or from Ubuntu’s application menu, depending on which package format you installed.

Launch the APT Build of Google Earth

The Google repository installs the standard desktop launcher command below:

google-earth-pro

Launch the Flatpak Build of Google Earth

The Flathub package runs through the Flatpak runtime, so use the application ID:

flatpak run com.google.EarthPro

Open Google Earth from the Ubuntu Applications Menu

Open the Activities overview, search for Google Earth Pro, and select the launcher from the application results. Both the APT build and the Flatpak build register a desktop launcher with that name.

Get Started with Google Earth Pro on Ubuntu

Once Google Earth opens, a few built-in tools are worth checking right away if you want more than a quick globe view.

Explore Historical Imagery in Google Earth Pro

Historical imagery is still one of Google Earth’s best desktop features. Open the clock icon on the toolbar to move through older satellite captures and compare how cities, coastlines, or landmarks changed over time.

Import GIS Data into Google Earth Pro

Google Earth Pro can import KML, KMZ, CSV, and other mapped datasets, which makes it useful for site planning, field work, travel research, or classroom projects that need more context than a browser tab gives you.

Tune Google Earth Pro Performance on Ubuntu

If navigation feels heavy on older hardware, trim the rendering load before you assume the package install went wrong.

• Lower texture quality and disable extra layer effects if zooming and panning feel sluggish.
• Turn off 3D buildings in dense city views when you want faster redraws on integrated graphics.
• Keep only the layers you actually need enabled so Google Earth is not redrawing unnecessary overlays.

Update or Remove Google Earth on Ubuntu

Google Earth updates differently depending on whether you installed the official APT package or the Flathub build.

Update Google Earth from Google’s APT Repository

Refresh APT metadata, then upgrade only the Google Earth package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --only-upgrade google-earth-pro-stable

Re-run dpkg-query -W -f='${binary:Package} ${Version}\n' google-earth-pro-stable if you want to confirm the new package version after the upgrade.

Update Google Earth Flatpak

Update the Flathub build through Flatpak’s system scope:

sudo flatpak update com.google.EarthPro

Re-run flatpak info com.google.EarthPro afterward if you want to confirm the updated Flatpak version and origin.

Remove the APT Build of Google Earth

Remove the Google Earth package first, then clear leftover dependencies that nothing else needs:

sudo apt remove google-earth-pro-stable -y
sudo apt autoremove -y

Delete the Google Earth source files and signing key, then refresh APT:

sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-earth.sources /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-earth-pro.list
sudo rm -f /usr/share/keyrings/google-earth.gpg
sudo apt update

Verify that the launcher and repository files are gone:

command -v google-earth-pro || echo google-earth-pro not found
ls /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-earth* 2>/dev/null || echo Google Earth repo files removed

google-earth-pro not found
Google Earth repo files removed

If you also want to remove saved places, cached imagery, and crash logs from the APT build, delete ~/.googleearth after backing up anything you want to keep.

Remove the Flatpak Build of Google Earth

Remove the Flatpak app itself, then clear any runtimes that no installed Flatpak app still needs:

sudo flatpak remove com.google.EarthPro
sudo flatpak uninstall --unused

Confirm that Flatpak no longer sees the app:

flatpak info com.google.EarthPro

error: com.google.EarthPro/*unspecified*/*unspecified* not installed

If you launched the Flatpak build and want to remove its sandbox data too, delete ~/.var/app/com.google.EarthPro/ after backing up anything you want to keep.

Troubleshoot Google Earth on Ubuntu

Most install problems now come from stripped-down Ubuntu images or leftovers from older Google Earth setup methods, not from the current package itself.

Fix xdg-utils Errors When Installing Google Earth on Ubuntu

Minimal Ubuntu installs can miss the desktop helper commands Google Earth’s post-install script expects. When that happens, package configuration usually stops with one of these errors:

Error: Could not find xdg-icon-resource
Error: Could not find xdg-desktop-menu

Install the missing desktop helper package, then finish the interrupted package configuration:

sudo apt install xdg-utils -y
sudo dpkg --configure -a

Clean Up Legacy Google Earth Source Files on Ubuntu

If you used an older guide or Google’s direct .deb download before switching to a DEB822 source file, you may still have a leftover google-earth-pro.list entry in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/. Recreate it as a read-only placeholder so your google-earth.sources file remains the active repository definition:

sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-earth-pro.list
sudo touch /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-earth-pro.list
sudo chmod 444 /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-earth-pro.list
sudo apt update

If apt update finishes cleanly afterward, the legacy Google Earth source entry is no longer interfering with your DEB822 configuration.

Google Earth on Ubuntu FAQ

Conclusion

Google Earth is installed on Ubuntu with either Google’s APT repository or the Flathub build, and the current package works again on 26.04 alongside 24.04 and 22.04. If you want more sandboxed desktop apps next, install Flatpak on Ubuntu. If you only need browser access on a machine where you do not want the desktop client, Google Earth Web remains a simple fallback.