How to Install Chromium Browser on Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04 and 22.04

When you want a Chrome-compatible browser without Google’s proprietary extras, Chromium is the obvious place to start on Ubuntu. You can install Chromium on Ubuntu through Ubuntu’s default Snap-based path or switch to xtradeb or Flatpak when you want a different package format and update workflow.

Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04, and 22.04 all support at least one of these Chromium paths. Ubuntu still exposes chromium-browser as a transitional package that installs the Chromium Snap. xtradeb currently publishes native .deb builds for all three LTS releases, and Flathub offers the same Flatpak across them. You can install any of these packages from a terminal, but Chromium still needs an active graphical session to open.

Install Chromium Browser on Ubuntu

All three methods work, but they solve slightly different problems. The best fit depends on whether you want Ubuntu’s default packaging, a native .deb, or a Flatpak sandbox.

Method	Channel	Version	Updates	Best For
Ubuntu repository	Default Ubuntu chromium-browser package	Latest stable Snap	Automatic through Snap	Users who want the simplest default Ubuntu path
xtradeb PPA	Launchpad PPA	Latest stable native .deb	Automatic through APT	Users who want Chromium on Ubuntu without Snap
Flatpak	Flathub	Latest stable Flatpak	Manual or automatic, depending on Flatpak settings	Users who prefer a sandboxed app with separate data storage

• Use the Ubuntu repository when you are fine with the Snap package and want the least setup.
• Use xtradeb when you want a native APT-managed Chromium package instead of Snap.
• Use Flatpak when you want Chromium separated from the rest of the system with its own sandboxed storage.

Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04, and 22.04 all support the Snap wrapper and the xtradeb PPA today. Flathub works on the same releases after you install Flatpak.

Update Ubuntu Before Installing Chromium

Refresh your package metadata first so APT sees the latest repository state before you install Chromium.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

These commands use sudo for tasks that need root privileges. If your account does not have sudo access yet, follow the guide on how to add a new user to sudoers on Ubuntu before continuing.

Install Chromium Browser from Ubuntu Repositories

Ubuntu’s repository uses the chromium-browser package name, but that package is a transitional wrapper that installs the Chromium Snap rather than a native .deb build.

The chromium-browser package lives in Ubuntu’s universe component. If APT says it has no installation candidate, enable Universe first with our guide on enable Universe and Multiverse in Ubuntu, then refresh APT and rerun the install.

sudo apt install chromium-browser

Use Snap metadata to verify the install, because the repository package hands the browser off to Snap behind the scenes.

snap list chromium

Name      Version         Rev   Tracking       Publisher     Notes
chromium  146.0.7680.80   3390  latest/stable  canonical**  -

The canonical** publisher marker confirms the Snap came from Canonical, and the installed revision shows Chromium is now available through the Snap channel rather than as a native package.

Install Chromium Browser with xtradeb PPA

The xtradeb PPA publishes Chromium as a native Ubuntu package for 26.04, 24.04, and 22.04. This is the cleanest option when you want Chromium on Ubuntu without Snap and still want updates through APT.

sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:xtradeb/apps

Pin the PPA before installing Chromium so other xtradeb packages do not override Ubuntu’s own packages by accident. This command uses tee because normal shell redirection does not inherit sudo.

printf '%s\n' \
'Package: *' \
'Pin: release o=LP-PPA-xtradeb-apps' \
'Pin-Priority: 100' \
'' \
'Package: chromium*' \
'Pin: release o=LP-PPA-xtradeb-apps' \
'Pin-Priority: 700' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/chromium-xtradeb > /dev/null

Refresh APT and confirm that Chromium now resolves to the xtradeb source before you install it.

sudo apt update
apt-cache policy chromium

Relevant output includes:

chromium:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 146.0.7680.80-1xtradeb1.2604.1
  Version table:
     146.0.7680.80-1xtradeb1.2604.1 500
        500 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/xtradeb/apps/ubuntu resolute/main amd64 Packages

The candidate version and the xtradeb URL confirm that APT will pull Chromium from the PPA instead of Ubuntu’s Snap wrapper.

sudo apt install chromium

Use APT metadata again after installation so you can confirm both the installed version and the active xtradeb candidate.

apt-cache policy chromium

chromium:
  Installed: 146.0.7680.80-1xtradeb1.2604.1
  Candidate: 146.0.7680.80-1xtradeb1.2604.1
  Version table:
 *** 146.0.7680.80-1xtradeb1.2604.1 500
        500 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/xtradeb/apps/ubuntu resolute/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

The installed and candidate versions now match, and the 100 /var/lib/dpkg/status line confirms Chromium is installed from the xtradeb package rather than just available from the repository.

Install Chromium Browser from Flatpak

Flatpak is a good fit when you want Chromium packaged separately from the host system and stored under its own sandboxed data path.

Ubuntu does not pre-install Flatpak. If you need it first, follow our guide on how to install Flatpak on Ubuntu, then come back here to add Flathub and Chromium.

Add the Flathub remote at system scope, then verify that the remote exists before you install Chromium.

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

flathub

The --if-not-exists flag makes the command safe to rerun, and the remote check proves Flathub is ready before you download the browser.

sudo flatpak install flathub org.chromium.Chromium -y

Use flatpak info after the install because it is a clean, headless-safe way to confirm the app ID, branch, origin, and version.

flatpak info org.chromium.Chromium

Relevant output includes:

Chromium Web Browser - The web browser from Chromium project

          ID: org.chromium.Chromium
         Ref: app/org.chromium.Chromium/x86_64/stable
        Arch: x86_64
      Branch: stable
      Origin: flathub
     Version: 146.0.7680.153

That output confirms Chromium came from Flathub and shows the exact Flatpak build installed on the system.

Launch Chromium Browser on Ubuntu

Once Chromium is installed, you can open it from a terminal or from your desktop menu. The command depends on whether you installed the Ubuntu or xtradeb build, or the Flatpak build.

Launch Chromium Browser from the Terminal

Use the plain chromium launcher for the Ubuntu Snap and the xtradeb package.

chromium

Use the Flatpak run command when you installed Chromium from Flathub.

flatpak run org.chromium.Chromium

Add & at the end of either command if you want the browser to start in the background and return the terminal prompt immediately.

Launch Chromium Browser from the Applications Menu

The graphical launcher is still the easiest way to open Chromium during normal desktop use.

1. Open the Show Applications menu or press the Super key.
2. Type Chromium in the search field.
3. Select Chromium Web Browser to start it.

Update Chromium Browser on Ubuntu

Each packaging format updates Chromium differently, so use the command that matches the method you installed.

Update the Chromium Snap Package

Snap refreshes Chromium automatically, but you can force an immediate check when you want to pull the newest stable build right away.

sudo snap refresh chromium

snap "chromium" has no updates available

Update Chromium Browser from the xtradeb PPA

The native package from xtradeb updates through the normal APT workflow, so you can upgrade Chromium without touching unrelated packages.

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade chromium

Update the Chromium Flatpak Package

Flatpak can update Chromium on its own schedule, but this command refreshes the app immediately at system scope.

sudo flatpak update org.chromium.Chromium -y

Remove Chromium Browser from Ubuntu

Use the removal path that matches the package format you installed. The Snap, PPA, and Flatpak builds all clean up differently.

Remove the Chromium Snap Package

Remove the Snap first, then verify that the Chromium snap is no longer registered on the system.

sudo snap remove chromium
snap list chromium 2>/dev/null || echo "chromium snap not installed"

chromium snap not installed

If you want a full reset, check snap saved afterward. When it shows a Chromium snapshot set, remove it with sudo snap forget ID using the set number from that list.

Remove Chromium Browser from the xtradeb PPA

Remove the Chromium packages first, then verify that the package is gone before you clean up the PPA itself.

sudo apt remove --autoremove chromium chromium-common chromium-sandbox
apt-cache policy chromium

Relevant output includes:

chromium:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 146.0.7680.80-1xtradeb1.2604.1

Once the package is gone, remove the xtradeb source and the pin file so APT stops offering that Chromium build.

sudo add-apt-repository --remove -y ppa:xtradeb/apps
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/preferences.d/chromium-xtradeb
sudo apt update
apt-cache policy chromium

Relevant output includes:

chromium:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: (none)

Remove the Chromium Flatpak Package

Remove the Flatpak app first, then prune runtimes that are no longer needed by anything else on the system.

sudo flatpak remove org.chromium.Chromium -y
sudo flatpak uninstall --unused -y
flatpak list --app --columns=application,origin | grep '^org\.chromium\.Chromium\b' || echo "NOT_INSTALLED"

NOT_INSTALLED

Find Chromium User Data Before Removing It

The next commands permanently delete local Chromium profiles, including bookmarks, browsing history, saved passwords, and extensions stored under the paths they remove. Export anything you want to keep before you continue.

Chromium does not create every possible data directory on every install. The safest cleanup pattern is to find the paths that actually exist for your account first, then remove only those paths.

find "$HOME" -maxdepth 4 \( -path "$HOME/.config/chromium" -o -path "$HOME/.cache/chromium" -o -path "$HOME/.var/app/org.chromium.Chromium" -o -path "$HOME/snap/chromium" \) -print

After you confirm which paths exist, remove only those locations. The Snap path usually appears only after Chromium has been launched at least once.

for path in \
  "$HOME/.config/chromium" \
  "$HOME/.cache/chromium" \
  "$HOME/.var/app/org.chromium.Chromium" \
  "$HOME/snap/chromium"
do
  [ -e "$path" ] && rm -rf -- "$path"
done

Chromium Browser on Ubuntu FAQ

Conclusion

Chromium is ready on Ubuntu with the packaging model that fits your desktop, whether that means the default Snap, a native .deb from xtradeb, or the Flathub Flatpak. If you want Google’s sync and Widevine stack, install Google Chrome on Ubuntu. If you want the stricter privacy-focused fork, install Ungoogled Chromium on Ubuntu.