How to Install Telegram on a Computer Running Linux

You can install Telegram on a PC or laptop running Linux in three ways: using the Ubuntu Software Center, from the official website or via the terminal window. Let’s examine all three installation methods using the example of the Ubuntu OS with screenshots and explanations. We will teach you to work with the graphic user interface, to install the portable client version and to find the Snap and Flatpak bundles via the command prompt. You can also read about adding the Software Center if the software manager isn’t already installed.

Installing Telegram Using the Ubuntu Software Center

Installing the messenger through the graphic user interface of the Software Center is intuitive and shouldn’t pose any difficulties. This method will suit beginner Linux users who are not familiar with the terminal window and are used to working with the iOS, Android, or Windows operating systems.

1. Click on the Software Center icon on the Ubuntu Dash left side panel.

2. In the window that opens, click on the magnifying glass icon.

3. In the search bar, type in “telegram”.

4. Click on the top result, telegram-desktop.

5. Read the description. Take note of the application version and file size.

6. Press the green Install button near the top of the screen.

By default, Ubuntu Software Center offers the latest stable version of Telegram. To download the newest messenger version and to explore the updates at the testing stage, select the second item from the Source drop-down menu.

7. Wait for the installation to complete.

After completing the installation, press the Permissions button and check the permission settings for Telegram to access the camera, microphone, speaker, and flash drive. You don’t have to change the default settings.

Click on the Telegram icon on the desktop and sign up for the messenger.

The development of the Software Center was completed in 2015, so this outdated program may not be installed on your computer by default. To install the software manager, press Ctrl + Alt + T at the same time to open the terminal window, then type in the command sudo apt-get install software-center. If there is an issue with the installation or the software manager isn’t working properly, use the command sudo apt --reinstall install software-center to reinstall the software manager.

Installing Telegram for Ubuntu from the Official Website

Downloading Telegram for Ubuntu from the official site gives you the portable version of the application. Save the messenger on a flash drive and launch the program on any PC or laptop. Communicate with your friends from your home, a café, college, or the office.

1. Click the Mozilla Firefox icon on the Ubuntu Dash panel and open the website telegram.org.

2. Scroll down and follow the blue Telegram for PC / Linux link.

3. Click on the blue Get Telegram for Linux button to download the messenger from the official site.

If you want to install Telegram from a Flatpak bundle, follow the Flatpak link to the Flathub repository and press the INSTALL button. To install the application from a Snap bundle, go to the Snap Store, select the version and click on the button in the top right-hand corner of the screen.

4. To save the Telegram archive file on your computer, select Save File in the modal window that appears and click OK.

5. Double-click on the archive file tsetup.3.7.3.tar.xz with the left mouse button and press the gray Extract button on the top left side of the window.

6. Press the green Extract button in the top right-hand corner of the modal window. Don’t change the extraction settings in the bottom part of the screen.

7. The archiving software will inform you when the archive file has been successfully extracted. Press Show the Files.

By default, files are extracted to the root directory Home.

8. Open the Telegram folder and click on the file with the name of the messenger.

Click on the blue button and link your phone number to the messenger.

To free up memory, delete the Telegram catalog and the archive file tsetup.3.7.3.tar.xz. You don’t need to uninstall the application.

How to Install Telegram via the Ubuntu Terminal

Working with the console will suit experienced users and adherents of the Linux philosophy. If “bundles,” “dependencies,” and “repositories” are not your cup of tea, we recommend installing applications via the Ubuntu GUI.

1. Click the Show Applications button in the bottom left-hand corner of the window.

2. In the application search bar, type in “cmd”.

3. Click on the Terminal icon.

As an alternative, you can open the terminal window by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T at the same time.

4. To search for the Telegram Snap-bundle, type in snap search telegram-desktop and press Enter.

Information about the application version and publisher will appear in the terminal window.

5. To install the client, execute the command sudo snap install telegram-desktop.

In 1-2 minutes, a message will appear stating that the installation has completed. The Telegram icon will be added to the Ubuntu application menu.

6. To launch the messenger, type in the command telegram-desktop or click on the airplane icon on the desktop.

To search for the Flatpak bundle containing Telegram, type in flatpak search telegram. To install and launch the messenger, execute the command flatpak install flathub org.telegram.desktop followed by flatpak run org.telegram.desktop.