How to Install SMPlayer on Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04 and 22.04

SMPlayer is useful when you want a traditional desktop media player that remembers where each file stopped, keeps subtitle and audio-track choices per video, and still gives you direct control over the MPlayer or mpv backend underneath. You can install SMPlayer on Ubuntu from the Universe repository, the official SMPlayer PPA for older LTS releases, Flathub, or Snap, but the best choice depends on whether you want native packages, the newest upstream build, or a store-managed app. For nearby media-player options, see how to install VLC on Ubuntu or how to install MPV on Ubuntu.

Install SMPlayer on Ubuntu

The native Ubuntu package is the cleanest path on Ubuntu 26.04, while older LTS releases need the SMPlayer PPA, Snap, or Flatpak for current upstream builds. Use the table below to choose a method before you copy commands.

Method	Channel	Release Track	Updates	Best For
APT (Ubuntu repos)	Ubuntu Universe	Ubuntu release package	sudo apt upgrade	Most users, native system integration
APT (PPA)	Official SMPlayer PPA	Current stable on 24.04 and 22.04	sudo apt upgrade	Ubuntu 24.04 and 22.04 users who want newer native packages
Flatpak	Flathub	Current stable Flatpak	sudo flatpak update	Users who specifically want a Flathub-managed app
Snap	Snap Store	Current stable Snap	Automatic / sudo snap refresh	Auto-updating install from SMPlayer publisher rvm

For the native APT package, Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (Resolute) currently installs SMPlayer 25.6.x, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble) installs 23.12.x, and Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy) installs 21.10.x. The rvm PPA publishes current SMPlayer packages for Noble and Jammy only, so skip the PPA on Resolute and use the Ubuntu repository, Snap, or Flatpak there.

Install SMPlayer on Ubuntu via APT

Update Ubuntu Before SMPlayer Installation

Update your system package list and upgrade any pending packages before installing SMPlayer:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

New to sudo? See our guide on how to add a user to sudoers on Ubuntu if the commands below return permission errors.

Install SMPlayer via APT Command

Install SMPlayer from the Ubuntu Repository

Installing from the Ubuntu Universe repository is the simplest native method. The package version depends on your Ubuntu release; Ubuntu 26.04 ships a current 25.6.x build, while Ubuntu 24.04 and 22.04 carry older release packages.

SMPlayer is in Ubuntu’s Universe component. Standard desktop installs usually have Universe enabled already. If APT cannot locate the package on a minimal or customized system, enable Universe first with the guide to enable Universe and Multiverse on Ubuntu, then rerun the install command.

sudo apt install smplayer smplayer-themes -y

Confirm the installed version:

apt-cache policy smplayer

smplayer:
  Installed: 25.6.0+ds-1
  Candidate: 25.6.0+ds-1
  Version table:
 *** 25.6.0+ds-1 500
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute/universe amd64 Packages

Install SMPlayer via PPA on Ubuntu 24.04 or 22.04

The official SMPlayer PPA from rvm provides SMPlayer 25.6.x for Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble) and 22.04 (Jammy). Use this method when you want a native APT package that tracks the upstream SMPlayer stable release on those older LTS releases.

Ubuntu 26.04 users should skip this PPA because it does not publish Resolute packages. The Ubuntu 26.04 Universe package already provides SMPlayer 25.6.x, so the repository method is the simpler native path on that release.

Add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:rvm/smplayer -y

Refresh the package list to include the new PPA index:

sudo apt update

Install SMPlayer, themes, and the additional skins package from the PPA:

sudo apt install smplayer smplayer-themes smplayer-skins -y

Confirm the installed version with apt-cache policy:

apt-cache policy smplayer

Relevant output on Ubuntu 24.04 should show the rvm PPA candidate ahead of Ubuntu’s older Universe package:

smplayer:
  Installed: 25.6.0-1~noble1
  Candidate: 25.6.0-1~noble1
  Version table:
 *** 25.6.0-1~noble1 500
        500 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/rvm/smplayer/ubuntu noble/main amd64 Packages
     23.12.0+ds0-1build2 500
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble/universe amd64 Packages

Install SMPlayer on Ubuntu via Flatpak and Flathub

Flatpak installs SMPlayer from Flathub with the app ID info.smplayer.SMPlayer. It works across Ubuntu releases once Flatpak is set up, but Flathub currently shows a safety warning because the app has broad host file access. The install can also warn that the KDE Platform 5.15-24.08 runtime is end-of-life, so use the Ubuntu repository or Snap if you do not specifically need the Flathub build.

Flatpak is not installed by default on Ubuntu. Follow the guide to install Flatpak on Ubuntu before continuing with the commands below.

Enable Flathub on Ubuntu for SMPlayer

Add Flathub as a Flatpak remote if it is not already configured:

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

Confirm the Flathub remote exists at system scope:

flatpak remotes --columns=name,options | grep "^flathub"

flathub system

Install SMPlayer on Ubuntu via Flatpak Command

Install SMPlayer from Flathub using its app ID info.smplayer.SMPlayer:

sudo flatpak install flathub info.smplayer.SMPlayer -y

Confirm the installed Flatpak reference:

flatpak info --show-ref info.smplayer.SMPlayer

app/info.smplayer.SMPlayer/x86_64/stable

Install SMPlayer on Ubuntu via Snap

Snap is pre-installed on Ubuntu. Install SMPlayer directly from the Snap Store:

sudo snap install smplayer

Confirm the installation:

snap list smplayer

Name      Version  Rev   Tracking       Publisher  Notes
smplayer  25.6.0   111   latest/stable  rvm        -

Snap packages refresh automatically in the background, so no manual update step is required under normal use.

Launch SMPlayer on Ubuntu

Launch SMPlayer from the Terminal

For APT installs, launch SMPlayer with:

smplayer

For Flatpak or Snap installs, use the command that matches your installation method:

flatpak run info.smplayer.SMPlayer

snap run smplayer

To open a specific media file from the terminal, append the file path to the command that matches your install method:

smplayer /path/to/video.mp4
flatpak run info.smplayer.SMPlayer /path/to/video.mp4
snap run smplayer /path/to/video.mp4

Launch SMPlayer from the Applications Menu

On GNOME, open the Activities overlay and search for SMPlayer, or navigate to:

Activities > Show Applications > SMPlayer

First-Time Tips with SMPlayer on Ubuntu

General SMPlayer Tips for New Users

• Explore Preferences: Go to Options > Preferences to adjust video, audio, subtitle, and interface settings all in one place.
• Set Interface Language: Under Options > Preferences > Interface, choose your display language from a long list of supported locales.
• Adjust Playback on the Fly: Right-click the video during playback to switch audio tracks, adjust subtitle timing, or change the aspect ratio without opening Preferences.

Customizing SMPlayer on Ubuntu

• Change Themes and Icons: Go to Options > Preferences > Interface to select different themes and icon sets. If you installed smplayer-themes, additional options appear here.
• Configure Output Drivers: Under Options > Preferences > General > Video, choose an output driver that matches your graphics stack. NVIDIA systems often use VDPAU, while Intel and AMD systems commonly use VA-API when the needed driver packages are installed.
• Remap Keyboard Shortcuts: Visit Options > Preferences > Keyboard and mouse to assign custom bindings for any action.
• Tune Subtitles: In Options > Preferences > Subtitles, adjust font, size, and color so text stays readable over any video background.

SMPlayer Keyboard Shortcuts

• Toggle Fullscreen: Press F to switch between fullscreen and windowed mode.
• Pause / Play: Press the spacebar.
• Adjust Volume: Use the Up and Down arrow keys.
• Seek Through Video: Use the Left and Right arrow keys to jump backward or forward in small increments.

Other Useful SMPlayer Tips

• Audio Equalizer: Go to Audio > Equalizer to adjust frequency bands for a custom sound profile.
• Play YouTube Videos: Use Open > URL and paste a YouTube link. SMPlayer streams it directly.
• Capture Screenshots: Press S during playback to save a still image. Configure the output directory under Options > Preferences > General > Screenshot.
• Advanced Backend Options: Add custom MPlayer/mpv flags under Options > Preferences > Advanced for granular playback control.

Manage SMPlayer on Ubuntu

Update SMPlayer on Ubuntu

APT – Update SMPlayer

To update only SMPlayer without upgrading the entire system, use the targeted install command:

sudo apt install --only-upgrade smplayer smplayer-themes

PPA users who installed the optional skins package can upgrade that package separately:

sudo apt install --only-upgrade smplayer-skins

Flatpak – Update SMPlayer

Update only the SMPlayer Flatpak from the system-scope Flathub install:

sudo flatpak update info.smplayer.SMPlayer -y

Snap – Update SMPlayer

Snap refreshes automatically in the background. To trigger a manual update:

sudo snap refresh smplayer

Remove SMPlayer from Ubuntu

APT – Remove SMPlayer

Remove the common native packages first:

sudo apt remove smplayer smplayer-themes

If you installed the optional skins package from the rvm PPA, remove it while the PPA source is still configured:

sudo apt remove smplayer-skins

Native SMPlayer packages can leave per-user settings under ~/.config/smplayer/. To remove saved preferences, playback history, and per-file settings for your account:

The next command deletes SMPlayer preferences, playback history, and per-file resume settings for your account. Skip it if you plan to reinstall SMPlayer later and want to keep those settings.

rm -rf ~/.config/smplayer

If you added the rvm PPA and no longer need it, remove the source and refresh APT metadata:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:rvm/smplayer -y
sudo apt update

For more detail on repository cleanup, see the guide to remove a PPA from Ubuntu.

Confirm the native packages no longer show an installed status:

dpkg-query -W -f='${db:Status-Abbrev} ${binary:Package}\n' smplayer smplayer-themes smplayer-skins 2>/dev/null | grep '^ii' || echo "SMPlayer native packages not installed"

SMPlayer native packages not installed

Flatpak – Remove SMPlayer

Remove the system-scope Flatpak app, then confirm it no longer appears in the installed app list:

sudo flatpak remove info.smplayer.SMPlayer -y

sudo flatpak list --app --columns=application | grep -Fx info.smplayer.SMPlayer || echo "info.smplayer.SMPlayer not installed"

info.smplayer.SMPlayer not installed

Remove unused Flatpak runtimes only after confirming no other installed Flatpak app needs them:

sudo flatpak uninstall --unused -y

Flatpak user settings can remain under ~/.var/app/info.smplayer.SMPlayer/.

The next command deletes SMPlayer settings saved inside the Flatpak sandbox for your account. Skip it if you want to keep Flatpak preferences for a later reinstall.

rm -rf ~/.var/app/info.smplayer.SMPlayer

Snap – Remove SMPlayer

Use --purge when you want to remove the Snap without keeping snapd’s automatic recovery snapshot:

sudo snap remove --purge smplayer

Confirm the Snap is gone:

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

smplayer not installed

Conclusion

SMPlayer is ready on Ubuntu once you choose the package source that matches your release and update preference. Ubuntu 26.04 users can stay with the Universe package, while Ubuntu 24.04 and 22.04 users can use the rvm PPA, Snap, or Flatpak for the current stable release. For media player alternatives with a different feature set, explore VLC on Ubuntu for broad format support or MPV on Ubuntu for a minimalist player.