How to install Google Chrome on Ubuntu

Google Chrome is not available in Ubuntu's default apt repositories though Chromium is. It makes installing Google Chrome on Ubuntu not as straightforward as it could be.

Google provides .deb package for Google Chrome that you can download and install using dpkg. The installation will automatically add the Google Chrome repository for apt, which will automatically update future releases. The .deb package and installation method works for Debian as well.

1. Launch Terminal from the application launcher.

   Or use the <ctrl> + <alt> + <t> keyboard shortcut.

2. Download current Google Chrome package using wget.

   $ wget https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
   --2020-05-15 07:56:32--  https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
   Resolving dl.google.com (dl.google.com)... 172.217.24.174, 2404:6800:4001:800::200e
   Connecting to dl.google.com (dl.google.com)|172.217.24.174|:443... connected.
   HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
   Length: 66985784 (64M) [application/x-debian-package]
   Saving to: ‘google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb’
   
   google-chrome-stabl 100%[===================>]  63.88M  34.3MB/s    in 1.9s    
   
   2020-05-15 07:56:34 (34.3 MB/s) - ‘google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb’ saved [66985784/66985784]

3. Install downloaded .deb package using dpkg.

   $ sudo dpkg --install google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
   [sudo] password for user: 
   Selecting previously unselected package google-chrome-stable.
   (Reading database ... 178996 files and directories currently installed.)
   Preparing to unpack google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb ...
   Unpacking google-chrome-stable (81.0.4044.138-1) ...
   Setting up google-chrome-stable (81.0.4044.138-1) ...
   update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/google-chrome-stable to provide /usr/bin/x-www-browser (x-www-browser) in auto mode
   update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/google-chrome-stable to provide /usr/bin/gnome-www-browser (gnome-www-browser) in auto mode
   update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/google-chrome-stable to provide /usr/bin/google-chrome (google-chrome) in auto mode
   Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.36.0-1ubuntu1) ...
   Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.24-1ubuntu2) ...
   Processing triggers for mime-support (3.64ubuntu1) ...
   Processing triggers for man-db (2.9.1-1) ...

   This will also add Google's apt repository for Chrome so Google Chrome in your system will automatically be updated.

   $ cat /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list
   ### THIS FILE IS AUTOMATICALLY CONFIGURED ###
   # You may comment out this entry, but any other modifications may be lost.
   deb [arch=amd64] http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main

4. Run google-chrome from the terminal or from the application launcher.

   $ google-chrome

   

5. Select the options that you want to enable click the Ok button to continue.

   • Make Google Chrome the default browser
   • Automatically send usage statistics and crash reports to Google