How to Install Okular on Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04 and 22.04

Okular earns its place on Ubuntu when one document viewer needs to handle PDFs, EPUB books, DjVu scans, comic archives, annotations, and printed documents without switching tools. You can install Okular on Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04, and 22.04 through Ubuntu’s APT repositories, the KDE Snap, or the verified Flathub package.

APT is the simplest system-managed choice because it follows Ubuntu package updates. Snap and Flatpak are better when you want the current KDE release through a store-managed package, especially on older Ubuntu releases where the repository build is several KDE Gear versions behind.

Install Okular on Ubuntu

Pick one installation method and stay with that package manager for updates and removal. APT, Snap, and Flatpak can technically coexist, but installing multiple copies creates duplicate launchers and makes troubleshooting less clear.

Install Okular with APT

Install Okular on Ubuntu from the terminal with the standard APT package when you want the version maintained in Ubuntu’s repositories. Start by refreshing the package index:

sudo apt update

If your account does not have sudo privileges, see how to add and manage sudo users on Ubuntu before continuing.

Okular is packaged in Ubuntu’s universe repository component. Most desktop installs already have universe enabled, but minimal or customized systems may need to enable the Universe repository on Ubuntu before APT can locate the package.

sudo apt install okular

Verify the installed package and repository source with APT:

apt-cache policy okular

Relevant output on Ubuntu 26.04 shows the installed build coming from the Universe repository. Your mirror hostname and exact version will differ on Ubuntu 24.04 and 22.04.

okular:
  Installed: 4:25.12.3-0ubuntu1
  Candidate: 4:25.12.3-0ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 4:25.12.3-0ubuntu1 500
        500 http://au.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute/universe amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

Current Ubuntu repository builds differ by release: Ubuntu 26.04 provides the 25.12.x branch, Ubuntu 24.04 provides the 23.08.x branch, and Ubuntu 22.04 provides the 21.12.x branch. A normal APT install also pulls in okular-extra-backends as a recommended package, which adds support for extra document formats.

Install the Okular Snap

Use the Snap package when you want KDE’s current stable Okular build with automatic background updates. Standard Ubuntu desktop installs include Snap support by default.

sudo snap install okular

Confirm the installed Snap package:

snap list okular

The Snap output lists KDE as the publisher. Snap revisions and versions can change as KDE publishes new releases.

Name    Version  Rev  Tracking       Publisher  Notes
okular  26.04.0  174  latest/stable  kde**      -

Install Okular with Flatpak

Use the Flatpak package when you prefer the verified Flathub build and Flatpak’s runtime model. If Flatpak is not configured yet, install it first and add Flathub as a system remote.

For a full Flatpak setup walkthrough, see how to install Flatpak and enable Flathub on Ubuntu.

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

Verify the Flathub remote before installing Okular:

sudo flatpak remotes | grep "^flathub"

flathub    system

Install the Okular Flatpak from Flathub:

sudo flatpak install flathub org.kde.okular -y

Confirm the installed Flatpak application ID, branch, version, and origin:

sudo flatpak info org.kde.okular | grep -E '^[[:space:]]*(ID|Ref|Arch|Branch|Version|Origin|Installation):'

          ID: org.kde.okular
         Ref: app/org.kde.okular/x86_64/stable
        Arch: x86_64
      Branch: stable
     Version: 26.04.0
      Origin: flathub
Installation: system

The Flathub package is verified and currently tracks KDE’s 26.04.x release series. Okular still receives file-system permissions needed for normal document workflows, so treat it as a store-managed package rather than a fully isolated document vault.

Compare Okular Install Methods on Ubuntu

The three methods install the same desktop application but differ in version source, update behavior, and how tightly they integrate with the base system.

Method	Source	Package or App ID	Updates	Best fit
APT	Ubuntu universe repository	okular	With normal APT upgrades	Most users who prefer Ubuntu-managed packages
Snap	Snap Store, KDE publisher	okular	Automatic Snap refreshes	Users who want the current KDE stable build
Flatpak	Verified Flathub app	org.kde.okular	With Flatpak updates	Users who already manage desktop apps through Flathub

Okular Downloads and Official Sources

KDE’s official Okular download page points Linux users to distribution package managers and Flathub rather than a separate Ubuntu .deb installer. KDE also publishes source release archives for builders, but typical Ubuntu desktop users should use APT, Snap, or Flatpak instead of building Okular manually.

Launch Okular on Ubuntu

Run Okular from your logged-in graphical desktop session. Use the launch command that matches the package method you installed.

Install method	Launch command
APT	okular
Snap	snap run okular
Flatpak	flatpak run org.kde.okular

okular

snap run okular

flatpak run org.kde.okular

You can also start Okular from the applications menu:

1. Open the applications menu or Activities overview.
2. Search for Okular.
3. Select the Okular icon to open the document viewer.

Troubleshoot Okular on Ubuntu

If Okular does not open, first confirm which package method is installed. Run the check that matches the package manager you used.

dpkg-query -W -f='${db:Status-Abbrev} ${binary:Package} ${Version}\n' okular 2>/dev/null | grep '^ii' || echo "okular APT package not installed"

snap list okular 2>/dev/null || echo "okular snap not installed"

flatpak list --app --columns=application | grep -Fx org.kde.okular || echo "org.kde.okular not found"

An APT install is active only when the status prefix starts with ii. Removed packages can leave rc configuration records, but those records are not installed copies.

Next, use the matching launch command from a graphical Ubuntu session. A desktop session normally reports either wayland or x11:

echo "$XDG_SESSION_TYPE"

wayland

If Flatpak cannot find the application, check that Flathub is still configured as a system remote:

flatpak remotes | grep "^flathub"

flathub    system

If that command returns nothing, add the remote again and reinstall the Flatpak using the commands in the Flatpak section above.

Use Okular on GNOME and KDE

Okular is a KDE application, but it works on Ubuntu’s default GNOME desktop, KDE Plasma, Xfce, and other graphical sessions. APT installs the Qt and KDE libraries Okular needs, while Snap and Flatpak ship their own application runtime pieces.

The interface may look slightly different outside KDE Plasma, especially on older Ubuntu releases where the repository build uses an older Qt stack. That difference is cosmetic; it does not prevent Okular from opening PDFs, EPUB files, images, or other supported documents.

Okular PDF Editing and Supported Formats

Okular can annotate PDFs with highlights, pop-up notes, lines, stamps, and text comments. It is not a full PDF editor for rewriting page text, rearranging pages, or rebuilding document layouts. For heavier PDF edits, LibreOffice Draw is a better fit after you install LibreOffice on Ubuntu.

Okular supports common formats such as PDF, EPUB, DjVu, CHM, XPS, PostScript, TIFF, DVI, FictionBook, comic book archives, Plucker, fax files, and many image formats. The APT package normally installs okular-extra-backends through recommended packages, and the Snap and Flatpak builds bundle their supported format handlers with the app package.

Update Okular on Ubuntu

Update Okular with the package manager used for installation. For the APT package, refresh package metadata and upgrade only Okular:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --only-upgrade okular

Refresh the Snap package manually when you do not want to wait for the next automatic Snap refresh window:

sudo snap refresh okular

Update the Flatpak package from Flathub with:

sudo flatpak update org.kde.okular -y

Remove Okular from Ubuntu

Remove the package that matches your installation method. If you installed more than one copy while testing, repeat the matching removal section for each package manager.

Remove the APT Package

sudo apt remove okular

Review optional orphaned dependencies before removing them. If the dry run only lists packages you no longer need, run the second command.

sudo apt autoremove --dry-run

sudo apt autoremove

Confirm the APT package is gone:

dpkg-query -W -f='${db:Status-Abbrev} ${binary:Package}\n' okular 2>/dev/null | grep '^ii' || echo "okular is not installed"

okular is not installed

Remove the Snap Package

sudo snap remove --purge okular

Verify that the Snap package is no longer installed:

snap list okular 2>/dev/null || echo "okular snap is not installed"

okular snap is not installed

Remove the Flatpak Package

The --delete-data option removes Okular’s Flatpak settings and recent-file state. Export or back up anything you need from the Flatpak app before using it.

sudo flatpak remove --delete-data org.kde.okular -y

Remove unused Flatpak runtimes only after Okular is removed:

sudo flatpak uninstall --unused -y

Confirm the Flatpak app is gone:

sudo flatpak list --app --columns=application | grep -Fx org.kde.okular || echo "org.kde.okular is not installed"

org.kde.okular is not installed

Conclusion

Okular is ready on Ubuntu as a system APT package, KDE Snap, or verified Flathub app, with PDF annotation and broad document-format support available from one desktop viewer. If document editing is the next step, use LibreOffice Draw after installing LibreOffice; KDE-heavy workflows pair well with installing KDE Plasma on Ubuntu.