Install Telegram on Ubuntu 20.04 or Ubuntu-based distributions
Tags: telegram, install, howto, ubuntu
Published: 2021-02-25 08:37:46


[Telegram](https://telegram.org/) is a free instant messaging tool with a focus on simplicity, security, speed, and synced across all your devices.

Telegram can be used on all your devices simultaneously - with any number of your phones, tablets, or computers syncing your messages or files seamlessly.

Telegram allows you to share messages, photos, videos, and files of any type (`doc`, `zip`, `mp3`, etc) in a secured and safe manner.

Everything on Telegram is encrypted using a combination of **256-bit symmetric AES** encryption, **2048-bit RSA** encryption, and **Diffie–Hellman** secure key exchange including chats, groups, media, etc.

I've been using it for more than 5 years and saw it evolving. The telegram is a cross-platform, open-source, and powerful messaging app developed by [Pavel Durov](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavel_Durov), [Nikolai Durov](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolai_Durov) and [Axel Neff
](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axel_Neff). The repository for source code is available on [GitHub](https://github.com/tdlib/td).

### Some of the supported available features

- Telegram is so simple to use it.
- The messages are self-destructing and encrypted heavily.
- Share unlimited media in terms of number & size.
- Completely customize your messenger.
- Telegram has an open [API](https://core.telegram.org/api).
- Video & audio calling
- Free and [open-source](https://telegram.org/apps#source-code)
- Drag and drop media
- and many more.

In this article, we will see how to install this open-source messaging app in Ubuntu or Ubuntu-based distributions. Follow the same steps to install into other Ubuntu-based distributions:

### Install Telegram

Telegram can be installed via the [Snapcraft](https://snapcraft.io/) store as a `snap` package or with `apt` or via official tarball.

### Method 1: Installing Telegram as a Snap Package

Canonical manages and distributes the Telegram snap package, the one behind Ubuntu.

Snap packages are secure & easy to upgrade. As Snaps are self-contained software packages. It includes all dependencies needed to run an application.

![SnapCraft](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/u9t4u3s94n1wsgdmm1q1.png)

Snap packages can be installed either from the Ubuntu Software application or via command-line.

#### Via Terminal

Open your terminal (`Ctrl+Alt+T`) and run the below command with sudo privileges

```Bash
sudo snap install telegram-desktop
```

This command will install the latest Telegram and other dependencies too. The snap package will automatically update(in the background) whenever a new version of Telegram is released.

We can also install from **[Ubuntu Software](snap://telegram-desktop)**, search for **Telegram** and install the application.

### Method 2: Official Telegram Download

Telegram also provides you an official desktop application that can be downloaded from their official Telegram website. Or head over to [Desktop App](https://desktop.telegram.org/) section which lets you download a Telegram desktop app installer that is supported on a variety of operating systems, including MAC, Android, Windows, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and many more.

![Telegram On Laptop](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/t6bhyql26iwzi8c27qif.png)
Source: telegram.org

Click an official link below to download the tarball package for Linux distribution (including Ubuntu) which contains a standalone Telegram runtime and updater:

#### [Download Telegram for Linux (64-bit .tar.xz)](https://telegram.org/dl/desktop/linux)

#### [Download Telegram for Linux (32-bit .tar.xz)](https://telegram.org/dl/desktop/linux32)

To **run** Telegram using archive package is easy. Extract the **`tar.xz`** archive, enter into the extracted folder, then **double-click** on the **telegram binary** inside to launch the app.


You can then follow the setup instructions wizard that appears on your screen.

**Note: This method does not "install" the app on your system. But it will add a `Telegram` app shortcut to your system app launcher menu.**

## Do not delete the binary file. The shortcut is linked to this binary file

### Method 3: Installing from official PPA using terminal

A PPA for Telegram is available for download. First, we need to add PPA to our system.

Open your terminal (`Ctrl+Alt+T`) and run the below commands with `sudo` privileges.

```Bash
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:atareao/telegram
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -f telegram
```

#### Single line command

```Bash
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:atareao/telegram &&\
sudo apt update &&\
sudo apt install -f telegram
```

This command will install the Telegram with other dependencies and fixes broken packages if any. It can be updated through the **command-line** or your Software Update tool

### Run application

Once the installation is done, we can now run **`telegram`** from **application launcher**.

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Hope you find this helpful!

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