How to Install Telegram on Fedora Linux

Telegram Desktop on Fedora is easy enough to use; the awkward part is that Fedora does not ship it in the default repositories. To install Telegram on Fedora, use RPM Fusion for the native telegram-desktop package or Flathub for the Flatpak build.

On Fedora, the DNF package name is telegram-desktop, while the Flathub app ID is org.telegram.desktop. Use RPM Fusion if you want Telegram updated through normal dnf upgrade runs. Use Flatpak if you prefer sandboxing or already manage desktop apps through Flathub.

Install Telegram on Fedora

The table below compares the two Fedora installation paths before you pick one:

Method	Package or App ID	Channel	Updates	Best For
RPM Fusion	telegram-desktop	RPM Fusion Free repository	Automatic via dnf upgrade	Most users who want native package management and clean desktop integration
Flatpak	org.telegram.desktop	Flathub	Automatic via flatpak update --system	Users who prefer sandboxing or already manage desktop apps through Flathub

RPM Fusion is the better default on Fedora when you want Telegram handled like the rest of your DNF packages. Flatpak makes more sense when you prefer sandboxing or want the app isolated from the rest of the system.

If you type dnf install telegram, Fedora will not find the package. Use telegram-desktop instead.

Install Telegram Desktop from RPM Fusion

RPM Fusion gives Telegram a native Fedora package, so updates arrive through the same DNF workflow you already use for the rest of the system.

Update Fedora before installing Telegram

Refresh Fedora first so DNF works with current repository metadata and package dependencies:

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

This guide uses sudo for commands that need root privileges. If your account does not have sudo access yet, follow the guide on how to add a user to sudoers on Fedora.

Enable RPM Fusion repositories for Telegram

Install the RPM Fusion free and non-free release packages. Telegram Desktop comes from the free repository, but most Fedora desktops keep both enabled because many multimedia and desktop packages depend on them:

sudo dnf install https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm

The $(rpm -E %fedora) expression expands to your current Fedora release number, so the same command works on Fedora 42, 43, 44, and later releases without editing the URL manually.

Verify that RPM Fusion is enabled before installing Telegram:

dnf repo list --all | grep -i rpmfusion

The grep -i rpmfusion part filters the list so you only see the RPM Fusion entries. Expected output should include the main free and non-free repositories in the enabled state:

rpmfusion-free            RPM Fusion for Fedora 43 - Free             enabled
rpmfusion-free-updates    RPM Fusion for Fedora 43 - Free - Updates   enabled
rpmfusion-nonfree         RPM Fusion for Fedora 43 - Nonfree          enabled
rpmfusion-nonfree-updates RPM Fusion for Fedora 43 - Nonfree - Updates enabled

Install the Telegram RPM package

Once RPM Fusion is active, install the package with DNF:

sudo dnf install telegram-desktop

Confirm the package installed correctly:

rpm -q telegram-desktop

Fedora 43 currently returns output like this:

telegram-desktop-6.3.10-1.fc43.x86_64

The RPM Fusion package installs the launcher as Telegram. If you try telegram-desktop at the terminal, nothing will start because that is the package name, not the executable name.

Install Telegram Desktop with Flatpak from Flathub

Flatpak keeps Telegram in its own sandbox and behaves consistently across Fedora installations. Fedora Workstation already includes Flatpak, while Server or minimal installs may need the package added first.

Install Flatpak on Fedora Server or minimal systems

If flatpak is not available on your Fedora installation, add it first:

sudo dnf install flatpak

Enable Flathub on Fedora

Add Flathub as a system remote so Telegram is available to all users on the machine:

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

The --system flag makes the remote available machine-wide, and --if-not-exists prevents an error if Flathub is already configured.

Verify the remotes before installing Telegram:

flatpak remotes --system

Fedora Workstation should show output similar to this once Flathub is enabled:

fedora	system,oci
flathub	system

Install the Telegram Flatpak

Install the Telegram Flatpak package from Flathub:

sudo flatpak install --system flathub org.telegram.desktop -y

The -y flag automatically accepts the prompt so the runtime and app install in one pass.

Confirm that the Telegram Flatpak is present:

flatpak list --app --system | grep -i telegram

The --app flag hides Flatpak runtimes so the output stays focused on installed applications. Fedora 43 currently reports the installed app like this:

Telegram	org.telegram.desktop	6.5.1	stable	system

Launch Telegram Desktop on Fedora

After installation, open Telegram from the terminal or search for it in Activities.

Launch Telegram from the terminal

The RPM Fusion package uses a capitalized binary name, so type Telegram, not telegram-desktop:

# RPM Fusion package
Telegram

# Flatpak package
flatpak run org.telegram.desktop

Launch Telegram from the applications menu

Search for Telegram in Activities and open it from the results. Fedora shows the same application name for the RPM Fusion package and the Flatpak build, so you do not need a different menu path for each method.

Update Telegram on Fedora

How you update Telegram depends on whether you installed the RPM Fusion package or the Flatpak build.

Update Telegram from RPM Fusion

Telegram updates arrive through your regular Fedora package upgrades:

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

If you only want to update Telegram and leave the rest of the system alone for the moment, use:

sudo dnf install --only-upgrade telegram-desktop

Update Telegram from Flatpak

Update all Flatpak applications system-wide with:

sudo flatpak update --system

To update only Telegram, specify the app ID directly:

sudo flatpak update --system org.telegram.desktop

Troubleshoot Telegram on Fedora

Most Telegram problems on Fedora come down to three things: RPM Fusion is missing, Flathub is disabled, or Wayland screen sharing needs a nudge.

Fix DNF no match errors when installing Telegram on Fedora

If dnf install telegram or dnf install telegram-desktop fails, Fedora usually cannot see the RPM Fusion repositories yet.

No match for argument: telegram-desktop

Check the repository state first:

dnf repo list --all | grep -i rpmfusion

If the free and free-updates entries are missing or disabled, re-run the RPM Fusion setup command from the installation section, then install the correct package name: telegram-desktop.

Fix a disabled Flathub remote on Fedora

Flatpak installations fail when Flathub exists but is disabled:

error: Unable to load summary from remote flathub: Can't fetch summary from disabled remote 'flathub'

Enable the remote again with:

sudo flatpak remote-modify --system --enable flathub

If the remote still behaves strangely, remove and add it back:

sudo flatpak remote-delete --system flathub
sudo flatpak remote-add --system flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Verify the fix by listing your remotes again:

flatpak remotes --system

Fix Telegram screen sharing on Fedora Wayland

Fedora 43 GNOME is Wayland-only, so Telegram screen sharing depends on PipeWire and the desktop portal service. Start by checking whether PipeWire is available in your user session:

systemctl --user status pipewire

If sharing still shows a blank window, restart PipeWire and the main portal service for your user session:

systemctl --user restart pipewire xdg-desktop-portal

For the Flatpak build, confirm that Telegram still has the expected Wayland and audio permissions:

flatpak info --show-permissions org.telegram.desktop

Expected output includes these sockets:

sockets=x11;wayland;pulseaudio;fallback-x11;

Remove Telegram from Fedora

Use the removal command that matches how you installed Telegram.

Remove Telegram installed from RPM Fusion

Remove Telegram with DNF:

sudo dnf remove telegram-desktop

On Fedora 43, DNF also removed the extra libraries that had been installed only for Telegram. Your chats resync from Telegram’s cloud storage when you sign in again later.

Disable RPM Fusion if you no longer need it for Telegram

If Telegram was the only reason you enabled RPM Fusion, disable the main repositories with DNF5’s setopt syntax:

sudo dnf config-manager setopt rpmfusion-free.enabled=0 rpmfusion-free-updates.enabled=0 rpmfusion-nonfree.enabled=0 rpmfusion-nonfree-updates.enabled=0

Each .enabled=0 switch turns that repository off without removing the release package. Verify that the core RPM Fusion repos are now disabled:

dnf repo list --all | grep -i rpmfusion

Expected output should show the main entries as disabled:

rpmfusion-free            RPM Fusion for Fedora 43 - Free             disabled
rpmfusion-free-updates    RPM Fusion for Fedora 43 - Free - Updates   disabled
rpmfusion-nonfree         RPM Fusion for Fedora 43 - Nonfree          disabled
rpmfusion-nonfree-updates RPM Fusion for Fedora 43 - Nonfree - Updates disabled

Remove Telegram installed from Flathub

Remove Telegram and its Flatpak application data with:

sudo flatpak uninstall --system --delete-data org.telegram.desktop

Afterward, remove any runtimes that are no longer needed:

sudo flatpak uninstall --system --unused

Frequently Asked Questions About Telegram on Fedora

Conclusion

Telegram fits Fedora cleanly once you pick a lane: RPM Fusion for a native dnf package or Flathub for a sandboxed desktop app. If you want the same kind of setup for other chat clients, see how to install Slack on Fedora or install Discord on Fedora.