How to Install Discord on Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04 and 22.04

Discord works on Ubuntu as a desktop client for voice channels, text chat, video calls, and screen sharing, but the package source you choose changes how updates and sandboxing behave. If you want to install Discord on Ubuntu, the main choices are Discord’s direct .deb download, the Snap package from Snapcrafters, or the Flathub app.

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (resolute), 24.04 LTS (noble), and 22.04 LTS (jammy) all run the Discord desktop client through the same package options. Discord itself is a hosted service, so these steps do not install a local Discord server package. The official Linux download currently provides a Debian package and a tar.gz archive; this Ubuntu workflow uses the .deb package because APT handles dependencies and desktop launcher integration.

Ubuntu flavors such as Kubuntu use the same package commands because they share Ubuntu’s package base. The only practical difference is where the desktop environment places Discord in the application menu after installation.

Install Discord on Ubuntu

For the fastest path on a standard Ubuntu desktop, Snap is usually the least work because snapd is already installed and the package updates automatically. Use the .deb package when you specifically want Discord’s official Linux download, or use Flatpak when you already manage desktop apps through Flathub.

Quick Discord Install Command for Ubuntu

On most Ubuntu desktop systems, install the Snap package with one command:

sudo snap install discord

The Snap package is published by Snapcrafters rather than Discord Inc., so use the method comparison below if upstream source ownership matters more than automatic updates.

Choose a Discord Package Source

All three methods install Discord on 64-bit Ubuntu systems, but they differ in source, update behavior, and isolation:

Method	Source	Update Path	Best Fit
.deb package	Discord official download	Download and reinstall the current .deb package	Readers who want Discord’s direct Linux package
Snap	Snap Store package by Snapcrafters	Automatic snap refreshes through snapd	Readers who want the simplest Ubuntu desktop install and background updates
Flatpak	Flathub app by Discord Inc.	Flatpak app and runtime updates through Flathub	Readers who prefer Flathub, sandboxing, or cross-distro desktop app management

Discord does not publish a Launchpad PPA or normal Ubuntu APT repository for this desktop client. On a default Ubuntu system, sudo apt install discord will not find a repository package. The direct .deb method below uses sudo apt install ./discord.deb after the download step so APT installs the local file instead.

These steps support Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, 24.04 LTS, and 22.04 LTS on amd64/x86_64 desktop systems. The official .deb file currently identifies as an amd64 package, and the Snap and Flatpak methods use their current stable channels.

Install Discord from the Official .deb Package

Start with the direct .deb method if you want Discord’s own Linux package. APT installs the local package file and resolves any missing runtime dependencies, including video acceleration libraries on systems that do not already have them.

Update APT Before Installing Discord

Refresh the package index so dependency resolution uses current Ubuntu repository metadata:

sudo apt update

For the broader maintenance workflow, use the guide to update packages on Ubuntu from the command line.

These commands use sudo for tasks that need root privileges. If your user is not in the sudoers file yet, run the commands as root or follow the guide on how to add and manage sudo users on Ubuntu.

Download the Discord .deb File

Most Ubuntu desktop installs already include wget. If your system does not, install it first; the wget command examples guide covers additional download options if you need them later:

sudo apt install wget

Download the latest stable Discord .deb package from Discord’s Linux download endpoint:

wget "https://discord.com/api/download?platform=linux&format=deb" -O discord.deb

The -O discord.deb option saves the redirected versioned package in your current directory with a predictable filename. Discord changes the upstream filename when it publishes new builds, but your local command can stay the same.

Install Discord with APT

Install the downloaded local package with APT:

sudo apt install ./discord.deb

APT may list extra libraries before asking for confirmation. On Ubuntu systems that do not already have the needed VA driver libraries installed, the .deb method can add packages such as libva2 and mesa-va-drivers; that dependency prompt is normal for the native package.

Verify the Discord .deb Install

Confirm the terminal launcher exists:

command -v discord

A native .deb install returns:

/usr/bin/discord

Check the package record without freezing Discord’s moving version number:

dpkg-query -W -f='${binary:Package} ${Architecture}\n' discord

The installed package should report:

discord amd64

Install Discord from the Snap Store

Use the Snap method when you want automatic background updates and do not need the upstream .deb package. Ubuntu desktop releases normally include snapd, so no separate Snap setup is required unless snapd was removed from the system.

sudo snap install discord

Verify the installed snap while hiding the volatile version and revision columns:

snap list discord | awk 'NR==1 {print $1, $4, $5} /^discord/ {print $1, $4, $5}'

Expected output shows the stable channel and publisher:

Name Tracking Publisher
discord latest/stable snapcrafters*

The Snap Store marks Snapcrafters as the publisher. Snapcrafters packages many upstream applications for the Snap Store, but the publisher is not the same as Discord Inc.

Install Discord with Flatpak and Flathub

Use the Flatpak method when you prefer Flathub’s sandboxed desktop app model. Ubuntu does not include Flatpak by default, so set up Flatpak first if this system has not used Flathub before.

Flathub notes that the sandbox can limit Discord features such as Game Activity, Rich Presence, and unrestricted file access. If those integrations matter more than sandboxing, use the .deb or Snap method instead.

Flatpak is not pre-installed on Ubuntu. If you have not set it up yet, install it with sudo apt install flatpak and restart your session before continuing. For detailed setup including the Flathub repository, follow our guide to install Flatpak on Ubuntu.

Enable Flathub for Discord

Add Flathub at system scope:

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

Verify the remote exists before installing Discord:

flatpak remotes | grep '^flathub'

Expected output for a system-wide remote is:

flathub  system

Install the Discord Flatpak

Install the Discord app from Flathub:

sudo flatpak install flathub com.discordapp.Discord -y

The -y option confirms Flatpak’s prompt automatically. Flatpak also installs the required Freedesktop runtime if it is not already present.

Verify the Discord Flatpak

Check the installed Flatpak reference:

flatpak info --show-ref com.discordapp.Discord

Expected output:

app/com.discordapp.Discord/x86_64/stable

Launch Discord on Ubuntu

Launch Discord from the Terminal

Use the command that matches the installation method:

Installation Method	Terminal Launch Command
.deb package	discord
Snap	snap run discord
Flatpak	flatpak run com.discordapp.Discord

Launch Discord from the Applications Menu

For everyday use, open Discord from the desktop application launcher:

1. Open Activities or your application menu.
2. Search for “Discord”.
3. Select the Discord launcher.

Update Discord on Ubuntu

Update the Discord .deb Package

The .deb method does not add a Discord APT repository, so APT cannot fetch future Discord builds by itself. Download and reinstall the current package when Discord prompts for a newer desktop build:

wget "https://discord.com/api/download?platform=linux&format=deb" -O discord.deb
sudo apt install ./discord.deb

Update the Discord Snap

Snapd refreshes installed snaps automatically. To request an immediate Discord refresh, run:

sudo snap refresh discord

Refresh all installed snaps with:

sudo snap refresh

Update the Discord Flatpak

Update only the Discord Flatpak and any required runtime changes with:

sudo flatpak update com.discordapp.Discord -y

Update every installed Flatpak app and runtime with:

sudo flatpak update -y

Remove Discord from Ubuntu

Remove the Discord .deb Package

Remove the native package first:

sudo apt remove --purge discord

Verify the package is no longer installed:

dpkg -l discord | grep '^ii' || echo "Discord package is not installed"

Expected output after removal:

Discord package is not installed

Review any packages APT now considers unused before removing them:

sudo apt autoremove --dry-run

Continue only if APT lists packages you are comfortable removing, such as dependencies installed with Discord. Then run the real cleanup interactively:

sudo apt autoremove

The next command permanently deletes Discord settings and cached data for your user account. Back up anything you need before running it.

rm -rf ~/.config/discord ~/.cache/discord

Remove the Discord Snap

Remove the Snap package and skip snapd’s automatic recovery snapshot:

sudo snap remove --purge discord

Verify the snap is gone:

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

Discord snap is not installed

The following check removes the per-user Snap data directory only if Discord created one. It permanently deletes local Snap settings for Discord.

if [ -d "$HOME/snap/discord" ]; then
    rm -rf "$HOME/snap/discord"
else
    echo "No Discord Snap data directory found"
fi

Remove the Discord Flatpak

Remove the Flatpak app and its sandbox data:

sudo flatpak remove --delete-data com.discordapp.Discord -y

Remove runtimes that no remaining Flatpak app needs:

sudo flatpak uninstall --unused -y

Verify the Discord Flatpak is no longer installed:

sudo flatpak list --app --columns=application | grep -Fx com.discordapp.Discord || echo "Discord Flatpak is not installed"

Discord Flatpak is not installed

The next command permanently deletes any remaining Discord Flatpak data for your user account. Back up files first if you need to keep them.

rm -rf ~/.var/app/com.discordapp.Discord

Troubleshooting Discord on Ubuntu

Discord Opens Briefly Then Closes

If Discord opens and closes immediately, clear the cache for the package type you installed. For the .deb package, remove the native cache directories:

rm -rf ~/.config/discord/Cache ~/.config/discord/GPUCache

For Flatpak installations, clear the sandboxed cache directories:

rm -rf ~/.var/app/com.discordapp.Discord/config/discord/Cache
rm -rf ~/.var/app/com.discordapp.Discord/config/discord/GPUCache

For Snap installations, clear the cache under the Snap data path if it exists:

rm -rf ~/snap/discord/current/.config/discord/Cache
rm -rf ~/snap/discord/current/.config/discord/GPUCache

Launch Discord from a terminal to capture method-specific errors:

Installation Method	Diagnostic Launch Command
.deb package	discord
Snap	snap run discord
Flatpak	flatpak run com.discordapp.Discord

Discord Audio or Microphone Does Not Work

Discord uses the desktop audio stack exposed by your session. Check whether PulseAudio or PipeWire is visible to applications:

pactl info | grep 'Server Name'

The output should begin with Server Name:. Ubuntu 26.04 and 24.04 commonly report PulseAudio on PipeWire, while Ubuntu 22.04 systems may report PulseAudio directly depending on the desktop audio setup.

For Snap installs, confirm the audio interfaces are connected:

snap connections discord | grep -E 'audio-playback|audio-record'

Relevant output includes:

audio-playback          discord:audio-playback          :audio-playback                 -
audio-record            discord:audio-record            :audio-record                   -

For Flatpak installs, verify that the app has the PulseAudio socket permission:

flatpak info --show-permissions com.discordapp.Discord | grep pulseaudio

Relevant output includes:

sockets=x11;wayland;pulseaudio;pcsc;

If those checks pass, open Discord’s Voice & Video settings and select the correct input and output devices. Then test in a voice channel.

Discord Screen Share Shows a Black Screen

Wayland screen sharing depends on XDG Desktop Portal. Confirm the portal packages are installed:

dpkg-query -W -f='${binary:Package}\n' xdg-desktop-portal xdg-desktop-portal-gnome

Expected output:

xdg-desktop-portal
xdg-desktop-portal-gnome

If either package is missing, install both and restart your graphical session:

sudo apt install xdg-desktop-portal xdg-desktop-portal-gnome

Ubuntu 26.04 uses a Wayland session with Xwayland compatibility by default and may not show a separate “Ubuntu on Xorg” session on a default install. Ubuntu 24.04 and 22.04 commonly provide an “Ubuntu on Xorg” login option, which can be a temporary fallback if portal-based screen sharing still fails.

Discord Prompts for an Update but the .deb Install Fails

For the .deb package, ignore the in-app update button and reinstall the current Linux package from Discord’s download endpoint:

wget "https://discord.com/api/download?platform=linux&format=deb" -O discord.deb
sudo apt install ./discord.deb

If the update prompt persists after reinstalling, clear Discord’s downloaded module cache and reopen the app:

rm -rf ~/.config/discord/*/modules

Snap and Flatpak installs should be updated with sudo snap refresh discord or sudo flatpak update com.discordapp.Discord -y instead of the .deb reinstall path.

Conclusion

Discord is ready on Ubuntu with the package source that matches your update and trust priorities: the official .deb download, the automatically refreshed Snap, or the Flathub app. For adjacent chat tools, install Slack on Ubuntu, install Telegram on Ubuntu, or install Signal on Ubuntu.