How to Install Google Chrome on Ubuntu: Step-by-Step Guide

Google Chrome is one of the most widely used web browsers, known for its speed, simplicity, and powerful extensions. However, Chrome is not available in Ubuntu’s default repositories. This guide walks you through the process of installing Google Chrome on Ubuntu step-by-step.

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Step 1: Update System Packages

Start by updating the system packages to ensure compatibility with the latest software. Use the following commands:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade -y

This updates the list of available packages and upgrades the installed ones to the latest version.

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Step 2: Download Google Chrome

Google Chrome is not part of Ubuntu’s default package repositories, so you’ll need to download it from the official website. Use the following wget command to download the Chrome .deb package:

wget https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb

This downloads the latest stable version of Chrome to your current directory.

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Step 3: Install Google Chrome

After downloading the .deb package, use the following command to install it:

sudo dpkg -i google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb

If you encounter any dependency issues, run the following command to fix them:

sudo apt-get -f install

This installs any missing dependencies required by Chrome.

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Step 4: Verify Google Chrome Installation

To ensure Chrome was installed successfully, you can check its version with the following command:

google-chrome --version

You should see output similar to this:

Google Chrome 118.0.5993.89 (Official Build) (64-bit)

This confirms that Chrome has been installed successfully.

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Step 5: Launch Google Chrome

To open Google Chrome, you can use one of the following methods:

1. Command Line: google-chrome
2. Graphical Interface:
   • Click on Activities in the top-left corner.
   • Type Google Chrome in the search bar.
   • Click on the Google Chrome icon to launch it.

On the first launch, Chrome will ask if you want to set it as your default browser and whether you’d like to send usage statistics to Google.

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Optional: Set Google Chrome as the Default Browser

If you want to set Google Chrome as the default browser, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Default Applications.
3. Change the default browser to Google Chrome.

This ensures that links opened from other applications will automatically launch in Chrome.

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Optional: Update Google Chrome

To keep Google Chrome updated, you’ll need to ensure that Ubuntu checks for updates. Since Chrome was installed using a .deb package, it automatically adds a repository to your system. To check for updates, run:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

Chrome will be updated along with your other system packages.

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