Ungoogled Chromium on Linux: How to Install and Use

Love the Chromium web browser, but can’t stand that it connects to Google services? Do you wish you could use it without dealing with Google’s invasive technology? It turns out you can, with ungoogled Chromium! It’s a version of the Chromium browser completely stripped of all Google-related technology! Here’s how to set it up on your Linux PC.

Supported platforms and where to download ungoogled Chromium

Ungoogled Chromium is a cross-platform project, not a Linux-only tool. Before you dig into distro-specific steps, it helps to know where to find the right build for your operating system and architecture. Here is a quick overview of the current maintained sources by platform:

• Linux: Flathub is the recommended source for most users — it provides a sandboxed, regularly updated build that works across distros. Native distro packages (via APT, DNF, or the AUR) are also available for major distributions. Portable tarballs for generic Linux systems are listed on the official community binaries index at ungoogled-software.github.io/ungoogled-chromium-binaries/.
• Windows: The community binaries index lists Windows installers and portable builds submitted by community packagers. There is no official Windows installer from a central authority, so the binaries index is your starting point. Look for the Windows section and match the build to your system architecture.
• macOS: Builds are available via the GitHub releases page linked from the binaries index, or through the Homebrew cask (brew install --cask ungoogled-chromium) for users who already have Homebrew installed. The Homebrew path is generally the easiest to keep updated on macOS.

Architecture matters: Most desktop and laptop users will want the x86_64 build. If you are on an ARM-based device — such as an Apple Silicon Mac, an ARM Windows laptop, or an ARM single-board computer — look for the ARM64 or aarch64 build instead. Mixing architectures will result in a browser that simply will not run, so confirm your system’s architecture before downloading anything.

What ungoogled Chromium changes — and what you give up

Ungoogled Chromium is more than just “Chromium without Google.” The project makes specific, deliberate changes to the browser’s source code before building it. Here is what it actually does:

• Removes all Google web-service calls baked into Chromium, such as Safe Browsing pings, usage statistics, and crash reporting sent to Google endpoints
• Strips Google-specific code and features that phone home, including components like Google Update and parts of the Safe Browsing infrastructure
• Replaces or avoids prebuilt Google-supplied binaries where possible, so more of what runs on your machine is open and auditable
• Stays close to stock Chromium in look and feel — it is not a heavily reskinned browser

Before you install, there are practical tradeoffs worth knowing upfront:

• Google Sync is intentionally disabled. You cannot sign into a Google account to sync bookmarks, passwords, or history. This is by design.
• Some privacy and control settings require manual enabling. Features that Chromium normally gates behind Google infrastructure may need to be turned on explicitly after install.
• The Chrome Web Store does not work out of the box. Extensions require a workaround to install — more on that in the post-install section below.
• DRM-protected media will fail until Widevine is added manually. Streaming services like Netflix require extra steps.
• Security updates depend on the packager, not Google. Update cadence varies by distro and build source, so it pays to use a well-maintained package.

If those tradeoffs fit your privacy goals, read on for installation steps by distro.

Ungoogled Chromium download sources and package trust

Before running any install commands, it is worth pausing on a key point: unlike Chrome or standard Chromium, there is no single official binary from a central authority. The binaries listed on the downloads index are community-submitted, not official project releases. The project itself makes this clear: builds are generally not reproducible, which means authenticity cannot be fully guaranteed the way it can with software signed and distributed by a single organization. That is not a reason to avoid ungoogled Chromium, but it is a reason to apply a clear-eyed vetting process before you install anything.

Here is a practical four-step checklist to run through before installing any ungoogled Chromium binary:

• 1. Confirm the package appears on the official binaries index. The index at ungoogled-software.github.io/ungoogled-chromium-binaries/ is the project’s canonical reference for currently maintained sources. If a download link you found elsewhere is not listed there, treat it with serious caution.
• 2. Note the GitHub username of the submitter or packager listed on the download page. Each entry on the binaries index is associated with a specific community contributor. A quick check of that contributor’s GitHub activity gives you a rough sense of whether the package is actively maintained or has been abandoned.
• 3. Compare the package version against the latest Chromium and ungoogled-chromium versions shown on the project’s GitHub page. A build that is several major versions behind the current Chromium release is a security risk, regardless of where it comes from. If the listed build is significantly outdated, look for a fresher source.
• 4. Prefer distro packages or Flathub when they are fresher than third-party repos. These paths go through more community review than a standalone GitHub release. Flathub in particular provides sandboxed builds that are straightforward to update. If a third-party APT or RPM repo has not been updated in months while Flathub is current, use Flathub.

Be especially cautious of any site offering downloads not listed on the official index, or of instructions that point to abandoned GitHub forks. With that in mind, here are the current installation paths for each major Linux distro.

Ubuntu installation instructions

To install ungoogled Chromium on Ubuntu Linux, you must use a third-party software repository. The app is not available in the Ubuntu main software repositories.

Option 1 — Flathub (recommended for most users)

The most reliable and up-to-date way to get the browser on Ubuntu today is via Flathub. First, make sure Flatpak support is enabled on your system, then run:

flatpak install flathub io.github.ungoogled_software.ungoogled_chromium

Once installed, launch it with:

flatpak run io.github.ungoogled_software.ungoogled_chromium

Option 2 — OpenSUSE Build Service APT repository

If you prefer a native APT package, a community-maintained OBS repository is available. Open a terminal window by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T or Ctrl + Shift + T on the keyboard. Then run the following commands. Note that you should replace Ubuntu_Noble with your own Ubuntu release codename if you are on an older version (for example, Ubuntu_Jammy for 22.04).

First, download and store the repository signing key using the modern keyring method:

wget -nv https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:ungoogled_chromium/Ubuntu_Noble/Release.key -O- | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/ungoogled-chromium-keyring.gpg

Next, add the repository, referencing that keyring:

echo 'deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/ungoogled-chromium-keyring.gpg] https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/ungoogled_chromium/Ubuntu_Noble/ /' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/home:ungoogled_chromium.list

Once the key and repo are added, refresh your software sources and install the browser:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install ungoogled-chromium

If the OBS repo does not yet have a build for your Ubuntu version, fall back to the Flathub method above, or check the official binaries index for a portable Linux build.

Debian installation instructions

Those looking to install ungoogled Chromium on Debian Linux will need to enable a third-party software repository, as the Debian project does not officially support it and does not make the app available in their software sources.

Option 1 — Flathub (recommended for most users)

As with Ubuntu, Flathub is the easiest path to a current build. With Flatpak installed, run:

flatpak install flathub io.github.ungoogled_software.ungoogled_chromium

Option 2 — OpenSUSE Build Service APT repository

To add the third-party APT repo to your Debian system, open a terminal window by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T or Ctrl + Shift + T on the keyboard. The commands below use Debian_Bookworm (Debian 12, the current stable release). If you are on an earlier release, replace Debian_Bookworm with the appropriate codename.

First, download and store the signing key using the modern keyring approach:

wget -nv https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:ungoogled_chromium/Debian_Bookworm/Release.key -O- | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/ungoogled-chromium-keyring.gpg

Next, add the repository using sudo tee so the command has the elevated privileges it needs to write into /etc:

echo 'deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/ungoogled-chromium-keyring.gpg] https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/ungoogled_chromium/Debian_Bookworm/ /' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/home:ungoogled_chromium.list

Once the software repository is added to your Linux PC, run the update command to enable the repository on your system.

sudo apt update

After your Debian PC’s software is up to date, it is time to install the browser. Using the apt install command, get the app working on your system.

sudo apt install ungoogled-chromium

Arch Linux installation instructions

Ungoogled Chromium is available to all Arch Linux users via the Arch Linux User Repository. To start the installation, open up a terminal window and install the “Git” and “Base-devel” packages. They’re required to interact with the AUR.

sudo pacman -S git base-devel

After installing the “Git” and “Base-devel” packages on your computer, use the git clone command to download the Trizen AUR helper. This app will make the installation very easy, as it takes care of all required dependencies and sets them up for you, rather than having to do it by hand.

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/trizen.git

Move into the “trizen” folder with CD and install the app on your Arch Linux system with makepkg.

cd trizen 

makepkg -sri

Once Trizen is set up on your Arch Linux PC, you’ll be able to install ungoogled Chromium with the trizen -S command below.

trizen -S ungoogled-chromium

If you prefer a different AUR helper such as yay or paru, the package name is the same. The AUR version tracks current upstream releases and is the most actively maintained option for Arch users. If you prefer to use a pre-compiled binary instead, visit the official binaries index at ungoogled-software.github.io/ungoogled-chromium-binaries/ and download the current Arch package listed there — do not use hard-coded download links from older guides, as those point to versions that are years out of date.

Fedora installation instructions

Ungoogled Chromium is available to all Fedora Linux users via the RPM Fusion software repositories. To start the installation, follow this guide on how to set up RPM Fusion. Then, when RPM Fusion is working on your Linux PC, enter the dnf install command below to get the browser installed.

sudo dnf install chromium-browser-privacy

If this package is no longer available in RPM Fusion for your Fedora release, Flathub is a reliable current fallback for installing ungoogled Chromium:

flatpak install flathub io.github.ungoogled_software.ungoogled_chromium

OpenSUSE Linux installation instructions

It is possible to get ungoogled Chromium working on OpenSUSE. The most straightforward current approach is Flathub, which provides a sandboxed build that is kept up to date. With Flatpak available on your OpenSUSE system, run:

flatpak install flathub io.github.ungoogled_software.ungoogled_chromium

Alternatively, the project provides a portable Linux build that runs on any distro without installation. To get it, open up a terminal window by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T or Ctrl + Shift + T. Then, visit the official binaries index to find the current portable Linux tarball:

Download the file listed under the “Portable Linux” section for your architecture, then extract and run it. For example, if the downloaded file is named ungoogled-chromium_VERSION_linux.tar.xz, the commands follow this pattern:

tar xvf ungoogled-chromium_VERSION_linux.tar.xz

cd ungoogled-chromium_VERSION_linux

./chrome

Replace VERSION with the actual version string from the file you downloaded. Always grab the filename from the official index rather than copying version-pinned commands from older guides — those links break as new releases are published.

Alternative Linux builds for unsupported distros and ARM devices

Not on Ubuntu, Debian, Arch, Fedora, or OpenSUSE? Running an ARM device like an ARM laptop or a single-board computer? The distro-specific steps above will not apply to you, but you still have solid options. The community binaries index surfaces several build types that cover these situations, and knowing which one to reach for saves a lot of trial and error.

Here are the main alternative build types and when each one is the right choice:

• AppImage: A self-contained, executable file that runs on almost any Linux distribution without installation or root access. Download it, make it executable (chmod +x), and launch it directly. This is the simplest option for users on uncommon distros who want a point-and-click experience similar to installing a native package.
• Portable Linux tarball: A compressed archive that you extract and run from any directory. This is the right choice for generic or minimalist Linux systems where you want full control over where the browser lives and do not want it integrated into your system’s package manager. It requires no installation but also means you manage updates manually by replacing the extracted folder.
• Debian/Ubuntu unportable builds from the binaries index: These are native .deb packages listed directly on the binaries index, separate from the OBS APT repository. They are useful when you need a native package install but the OBS repo does not yet carry a build for your specific release. Check that the submitter is active and that the version is current before installing.
• ARM64/aarch64 builds: If your device runs a 64-bit ARM processor — an Apple Silicon Mac running a Linux VM, an ARM Windows laptop, a Raspberry Pi 4 or 5, or similar single-board computers — look specifically for ARM64 or aarch64 builds on the binaries index. Installing an x86_64 build on ARM hardware will not work; the binary simply will not execute.

One important note for users on musl-based distributions (such as Alpine Linux): musl builds are a special case and are not interchangeable with the standard glibc builds that cover the vast majority of Linux systems. If your distro uses musl as its C library, you must use a build specifically compiled against musl — a standard glibc binary will fail to run. Check the binaries index carefully for musl-specific entries, and if none exist for your platform, Flathub or an AppImage may be your most practical fallback.

Post-install setup and known limitations

Once ungoogled Chromium launches for the first time, you will notice it behaves differently from Chrome or standard Chromium in a few key ways. Here is what to expect and how to handle the most common first-run issues.

Setting a default search engine

The browser does not set a default search engine automatically. To add one, go to Settings > Search engine > Manage search engines and site search, then add your preferred engine (DuckDuckGo, Brave Search, or whichever you prefer) and set it as the default.

Installing extensions — the Chrome Web Store does not work by default

The Chrome Web Store requires a Google account handshake that ungoogled Chromium deliberately blocks. You have two practical options:

• Use the chromium-web-store helper. This is a community-built extension that re-enables direct installs from the Chrome Web Store without a Google account. Install it by downloading the CRX from its GitHub releases page, then drag it into the browser’s extensions page (chrome://extensions) with developer mode enabled.
• Sideload CRX files manually. Enable developer mode at chrome://extensions, download a CRX file directly, and drag it onto the extensions page to install.

Google Sync is not available

There is no sign-in button and no Google Sync. This is intentional, not a bug. If you need bookmark and password sync across devices, use a third-party password manager and a browser-agnostic bookmark service instead.

DRM-protected media requires Widevine

Streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, and Spotify will not play protected content out of the box. To enable them, you need to install the Widevine CDM manually. The process involves copying the Widevine library from a standard Chromium or Chrome installation into the ungoogled Chromium browser’s directory. Search for current instructions specific to your distro, as the file path varies.

Security updates

This browser does not auto-update. On Flathub, updates arrive through the normal Flatpak update mechanism (flatpak update). On APT or RPM systems, use your normal package manager update command. On portable builds, you need to download and replace the folder manually. Make a habit of checking for updates regularly, since an outdated ungoogled Chromium build carries real security risk.

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