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

Google Chrome on Ubuntu gives you access to Google’s Chromium-based browser with native sync for bookmarks, passwords, and browsing history across devices. Whether you need Chrome for web development testing, accessing Google Workspace apps, or sites that work best with Chrome’s rendering engine, this guide configures Google’s official APT repository so your browser receives automatic security updates alongside your system packages.

By the end of this guide, you will have Google Chrome installed from Google’s official repository using the modern DEB822 format, with the GPG key properly configured and your choice of stable, beta, unstable, or canary builds available.

Prepare Your System

Before adding Google’s repository, refresh your package list and install the tools needed to download and verify packages over HTTPS.

Update Package Lists

Refresh your system’s package index to ensure you install the latest versions of any prerequisites:

sudo apt update

Install Required Packages

Install the packages needed for secure downloads and GPG key management:

sudo apt install ca-certificates curl -y

This command installs certificate handling for HTTPS connections and the curl utility for downloading files. Ubuntu includes the gpg command by default for GPG key operations.

Chrome Release Channels

Google publishes Chrome through four release channels, each targeting different use cases. All channels are available from the same repository, so you can install multiple versions side-by-side for different purposes.

Channel	Package Name	Stability	Best For
Stable	google-chrome-stable	High	Daily browsing, production use
Beta	google-chrome-beta	Moderate	Preview features 4-6 weeks before stable
Unstable (Dev)	google-chrome-unstable	Low	Early development testing
Canary	google-chrome-canary	Very Low	Experimental builds updated daily

Most users should install the stable channel. The beta, unstable, and canary channels receive updates more frequently and may contain bugs that make them unsuitable for daily use.

Import Google’s Repository Signing Key

APT requires a GPG key to verify the authenticity of packages downloaded from external repositories. Download Google’s public signing key, convert it to binary format, and store it in the system keyring directory:

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

This single command downloads the key, converts it from ASCII-armored format to binary, and writes it directly to /usr/share/keyrings/ with the correct ownership. Your system can now verify packages signed by Google during installation and updates.

Add the Google Chrome Repository

Create a repository configuration file using the modern DEB822 format, which is clearer and more maintainable than the legacy one-line 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
Architectures: amd64
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/google-chrome.gpg
EOF

Each line in this configuration serves a specific purpose:

• Types: deb specifies binary packages (not source packages)
• URIs points to Google’s package server
• Suites: stable is the repository branch (despite the name, all four Chrome channels are available from this branch)
• Architectures: amd64 limits packages to 64-bit (Google does not publish 32-bit Chrome packages)
• Signed-By links to the GPG key you imported earlier

The Google Chrome repository uses a universal package format that works on all current Ubuntu releases, including 22.04 LTS, 24.04 LTS, 26.04 LTS, and interim versions. Commands shown in this guide work identically regardless of your specific Ubuntu version.

Verify the Repository Configuration

Refresh your package lists to include the new repository:

sudo apt update

Confirm the repository is working by checking the package sources:

apt-cache policy google-chrome-stable

The output should show Google’s repository as the package source:

google-chrome-stable:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 143.0.7499.192-1
  Version table:
     143.0.7499.192-1 500
        500 https://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb stable/main amd64 Packages

If you see the https://dl.google.com URL in the output, the repository is configured correctly. The version number will differ as Google releases updates.

Install Google Chrome

With the repository configured, install your preferred Chrome channel using APT.

Install Chrome Stable

The stable version receives updates after thorough testing by Google’s quality assurance teams, making it the safest choice for daily browsing:

sudo apt install google-chrome-stable

Verify the installation by checking the version:

google-chrome --version

Google Chrome 143.0.7499.192

Your version number will reflect the latest stable release at installation time. Chrome updates automatically through the repository, so the version may change after system updates.

Install Beta, Unstable, or Canary Builds

For early access to experimental features, install an alternate channel. Each channel installs as a separate application, so you can run multiple versions simultaneously:

Install the beta version (one to two major versions ahead of stable):

sudo apt install google-chrome-beta

Install the unstable (dev) version for active development testing:

sudo apt install google-chrome-unstable

Install the canary version for the absolute latest experimental builds:

sudo apt install google-chrome-canary

Verify your chosen channel with its specific version command:

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

The unstable and canary channels may contain bugs and stability issues unsuitable for production environments. Use the stable channel for daily browsing and reserve these channels for testing new features or web development.

Launch Google Chrome

Launch from Terminal

Each Chrome channel has its own command. Launch the stable version:

google-chrome

Launch the beta version:

google-chrome-beta

Launch the unstable version:

google-chrome-unstable

Launch the canary version:

google-chrome-canary

Launch from Applications Menu

Open Chrome through the graphical interface:

1. Click Activities in the top-left corner of your screen (or press the Super key).
2. Type “Chrome” in the search field.
3. Click the Google Chrome icon to launch. If you have multiple versions installed, they appear as separate entries: Google Chrome, Google Chrome (Beta), Google Chrome (Unstable), and Google Chrome (Canary).

First Launch Configuration

When you open Google Chrome for the first time on Ubuntu, several prompts help configure the browser for your preferences. These setup steps are optional but personalize your browsing experience.

Keychain Password Prompt

Ubuntu may prompt you to set up or unlock a keychain password. The keychain stores passwords for websites and applications securely. Enter your user password or create a new keychain password, or click Cancel to skip keychain integration.

Set Chrome as Default Browser

Chrome will ask whether you want to make it the default browser. Click “Set as Default” to replace your current default (usually Firefox on Ubuntu), or close the prompt to keep your existing default.

Usage Statistics and Crash Reports

Chrome displays an option to send usage statistics and crash reports to Google, which helps improve the browser. Select or deselect the checkbox based on your privacy preferences.

Sign In with Google Account

Chrome allows you to sign in with your Google account to sync bookmarks, history, passwords, and settings across devices. This is optional, and you can skip it by clicking the X in the sign-in tab or selecting “Continue without account.”

Update and Remove Chrome

Keep Chrome Updated

The APT repository you configured delivers Chrome updates automatically alongside your system packages. Refresh your package lists and upgrade all packages:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

To update only Chrome without upgrading other packages, use the --only-upgrade flag with the specific package name:

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

Replace google-chrome-stable with google-chrome-beta, google-chrome-unstable, or google-chrome-canary to update a different channel.

Uninstall Google Chrome

If you no longer need Google Chrome, remove it along with its repository configuration.

Remove Chrome Packages

Use the appropriate command based on the channel you installed:

sudo apt purge google-chrome-stable

For other channels:

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

Remove unused dependencies Chrome installed:

sudo apt autoremove --purge

Remove Repository and GPG Key

Delete the repository configuration file and GPG key to prevent APT from checking for Chrome updates:

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

The second line removes a legacy .list file that Chrome’s installer may have created. Refresh your package lists:

sudo apt update

Verify the repository is no longer active:

apt-cache policy google-chrome-stable

N: Unable to locate package google-chrome-stable

This output confirms the package is no longer available from any repository.

Remove User Data (Optional)

The following commands permanently delete your Chrome profile data, including bookmarks, saved passwords, extensions, and browsing history. Back up these directories first if you want to preserve this data for a future Chrome reinstallation.

Remove all Chrome configuration and cache files from your home directory:

rm -rf ~/.config/google-chrome*
rm -rf ~/.cache/google-chrome*
rm -rf ~/.local/share/applications/google-chrome*.desktop

After running these commands, Google Chrome is fully removed with no residual configuration or cache files.

Troubleshoot Common Chrome Issues

Fix Duplicate Repository Warnings

Google’s Chrome installer sometimes creates a legacy google-chrome.list file during package installation, even when you have already configured the modern .sources format. This causes duplicate repository warnings during apt update:

W: Target Packages (main/binary-amd64/Packages) is configured multiple times in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list:1 and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.sources:1

Remove the duplicate file to resolve the warning:

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

The .list files do not reappear during Chrome updates because Google’s installer creates them only on first install. A complete reinstallation would recreate them, requiring you to remove them again.

Chrome Fails to Start with GPU Errors

Chrome may fail to start on systems with certain GPU configurations or when running in virtual machines. Launch Chrome with GPU sandboxing disabled to diagnose the issue:

google-chrome --disable-gpu-sandbox

If Chrome starts successfully with this flag, the issue is GPU-related. You can also disable GPU acceleration entirely:

google-chrome --disable-gpu

For a permanent fix, check Chrome’s GPU status by navigating to chrome://gpu in the address bar. This page shows which GPU features are enabled or disabled and any blocklist reasons.

Chrome Crashes on Wayland Sessions

Ubuntu 24.04 and newer default to Wayland sessions. If Chrome crashes or displays rendering issues, force Chrome to run in X11 mode:

google-chrome --ozone-platform=x11

For better performance on modern hardware, force native Wayland mode instead:

google-chrome --ozone-platform=wayland

To make this setting permanent, edit Chrome’s desktop file or create a persistent launch configuration.

Missing Fonts or Emoji Display Issues

If web pages display placeholder boxes instead of characters or emoji, install additional font packages:

sudo apt install fonts-noto-color-emoji fonts-noto fonts-liberation

Restart Chrome after installing the fonts for changes to take effect.

Chrome Profile Locked Error

If Chrome reports “Your profile could not be opened correctly” or displays a lock error, a previous Chrome process may have exited uncleanly. Remove the lock file:

rm ~/.config/google-chrome/SingletonLock

Restart Chrome after removing the lock file.

Additional Resources

These official resources provide additional information for managing and troubleshooting Chrome:

• Google Chrome Release Blog: Updates on the latest stable, beta, and developer Chrome versions with changelogs and security fixes.
• Chrome Developer Release Notes: Developer-focused updates on new APIs, deprecations, and behavior changes.
• Google Chrome Help Center: Official guides for troubleshooting, privacy settings, and browser optimization.
• Chrome Web Store: Extensions, apps, and themes to customize your browsing experience.

Conclusion

Google Chrome is now configured on your Ubuntu system with automatic updates through Google’s official APT repository. The installation uses modern DEB822 repository format with proper GPG key management, ensuring secure package verification for all future updates.

To explore other browsers, consider installing Chromium on Ubuntu as an open-source alternative, or try Brave Browser on Ubuntu for privacy-focused browsing with the same Chromium engine. For extensive customization options, Vivaldi on Ubuntu offers unique features, while Firefox ESR on Ubuntu provides a stable alternative with an independent rendering engine.