How to Install Falkon Browser on Ubuntu

Falkon is a lightweight Qt-based web browser that integrates seamlessly with KDE Plasma desktops while remaining fast enough for older hardware. Originally developed as QupZilla, it now ships with built-in AdBlock and tracker protection, bookmark and history sidebars, an RSS reader, and Click2Flash content blocking. Whether you run a minimal tiling window manager or a full Plasma desktop, Falkon adapts to your workflow without consuming excessive resources.

This guide covers three installation methods for Falkon on Ubuntu: APT from the default repositories, Snap packages with automatic updates, and Flatpak bundles from Flathub with application sandboxing. By the end, you will have Falkon installed and verified, know how to launch and update it, and understand how to remove it cleanly if you decide to switch browsers.

Choose Your Falkon Installation Method

Before installing, consider which method best fits your needs. Each approach offers different trade-offs between version freshness, disk usage, and system integration, so choose based on your priorities.

Method	Channel	Stability	Best For
APT (Ubuntu Repository)	Ubuntu Repos	Very stable, tested integration	Users who prefer system-managed updates and minimal disk usage
Snap	Snap Store	Latest stable with auto-updates	Users who want automatic background updates
Flatpak (Flathub)	Flathub	Sandboxed, frequent updates	Users prioritizing application isolation and security

For most users, the APT method is recommended because it integrates with Ubuntu’s standard update cycle, shares system libraries to save disk space, and receives security patches through the regular system update process. In contrast, Snap and Flatpak deliver newer upstream versions but consume more disk space through bundled dependencies.

Method 1: Install Falkon Browser via APT

APT installs Falkon from Ubuntu’s default universe repository, providing a stable version that shares your system’s Qt libraries. As a result, updates arrive through standard system maintenance.

Update System Packages

First, refresh your package index and upgrade existing packages to ensure APT has the latest repository information:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Enter your password when prompted. If updates are available, APT lists them and asks for confirmation. Press Y to proceed with the upgrades.

Install Falkon via APT

With your system updated, install Falkon from Ubuntu’s repositories:

sudo apt install falkon

APT resolves dependencies and displays the packages to install. Press Y to confirm. After confirmation, APT downloads and installs Falkon along with its required Qt WebEngine libraries.

Verify APT Installation

Once installation completes, verify that Falkon is correctly installed by checking the package status:

dpkg -l falkon | tail -1

Expected output confirming successful installation:

ii  falkon         24.01.75-1build3 amd64        lightweight web browser based on Qt WebEngine

The ii status confirms the package is installed and configured correctly. Note that the version number varies depending on your Ubuntu release.

Method 2: Install Falkon Browser via Snap

Snap packages bundle all dependencies and update automatically in the background. As a result, this method provides a newer Falkon version than the default repositories while keeping the browser isolated from system libraries.

Verify Snapd Installation

Ubuntu includes Snap by default on standard desktop installations. However, minimal or server installations may lack it. To ensure the Snap daemon is available, run the following command:

sudo apt install snapd -y

If Snapd is already present, APT confirms the package is current. Otherwise, APT installs and enables the Snap service automatically.

Install Falkon via Snap

With Snapd ready, install Falkon from the Snap Store:

sudo snap install falkon

Verify Snap Installation

Next, confirm the Snap installation succeeded by listing installed Snap packages:

snap list falkon

Expected output showing Falkon is installed:

Name    Version  Rev   Tracking       Publisher  Notes
falkon  3.2.0    182   latest/stable  nicofee    -

Method 3: Install Falkon Browser via Flatpak and Flathub

Flatpak provides application sandboxing with fine-grained permission controls. Additionally, the Flathub version of Falkon is maintained by KDE and typically offers the newest stable release.

Flatpak is not pre-installed on Ubuntu. If you have not set it up yet, follow our Flatpak installation guide for Ubuntu to install the Flatpak framework and add the Flathub repository before continuing.

Enable Flathub Repository

If you have not already added Flathub as a remote, run the following command to enable it system-wide:

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

The --if-not-exists flag prevents errors if Flathub is already configured. You only need to run this step once per system.

Install Falkon via Flatpak

Next, install Falkon from Flathub at system scope so all users can access it:

sudo flatpak install flathub org.kde.falkon -y

Flatpak downloads Falkon and any required KDE runtimes. Depending on your connection speed, the download may take several minutes.

Verify Flatpak Installation

Once installation completes, verify that Falkon is correctly installed:

flatpak info org.kde.falkon

Expected output showing installation details:

Falkon - Web Browser

          ID: org.kde.falkon
         Ref: app/org.kde.falkon/x86_64/stable
        Arch: x86_64
      Branch: stable
      Origin: flathub
     Version: 25.12.0

Launch Falkon Browser

Once Falkon is installed, you can launch it from the terminal or the graphical application menu depending on your preference.

Launch from Terminal

The terminal command varies depending on how you installed Falkon. Therefore, use the command that matches your installation method:

APT or Snap installation:

falkon

Flatpak installation:

flatpak run org.kde.falkon

Both Snap and APT installations add Falkon to your system PATH. As a result, you can launch it with the simple falkon command.

Launch from Applications Menu

To launch Falkon graphically, open your desktop’s application menu, search for Falkon, and select it from the results. Alternatively, you can find Falkon in the Applications menu under the Internet category.

Manage Falkon Browser

This section covers keeping Falkon updated and removing it when no longer needed. Use the commands that match your installation method for each task.

Update Falkon Browser

Regular updates ensure you have the latest security patches and features. Choose the update process that matches your installation method.

Update APT Installation

For APT installations, Falkon updates arrive through the standard system update process. To check for and apply updates specifically for Falkon, run:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --only-upgrade falkon

Update Snap Installation

Snap packages update automatically in the background by default. However, to manually trigger an update, run:

sudo snap refresh falkon

Update Flatpak Installation

For Flatpak installations, update Falkon and its runtimes with the following command:

sudo flatpak update org.kde.falkon

Remove Falkon Browser

If you decide to remove Falkon, use the commands that match your original installation method. Complete removal requires cleaning up orphaned dependencies as well.

Remove APT Installation

To remove Falkon and its configuration files, run the following commands to clean up unused dependencies:

sudo apt remove --purge falkon
sudo apt autoremove

The autoremove command removes Qt libraries and other packages that APT installed as dependencies but that no other application requires.

Remove Snap Installation

To remove the Falkon Snap package, run the following command:

sudo snap remove falkon

Snap cleans up bundled dependencies automatically when you remove the package.

Remove Flatpak Installation

To remove the Falkon Flatpak and clean up unused runtimes, run these commands:

sudo flatpak uninstall org.kde.falkon
sudo flatpak uninstall --unused

The second command removes any KDE runtimes that only Falkon used. Consequently, no other Flatpak application needs them.

Falkon stores user data in ~/.config/falkon/ (APT/Snap) or ~/.var/app/org.kde.falkon/ (Flatpak). These directories contain your bookmarks, history, and settings. The removal commands above do not delete user data, so you can back it up before removal or delete it manually with rm -rf ~/.config/falkon/ if you want a clean slate.

Conclusion

Falkon provides a lightweight browsing experience with built-in privacy features through three installation methods: APT for system integration, Snap for automatic updates, and Flatpak for sandboxed isolation. Because AdBlock and tracker protection are enabled by default, Falkon offers a clean browsing experience without requiring additional extensions. For more information about Falkon’s features and development, visit the official Falkon website.