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From Windows, I am used to Google Chrome automatically updating itself. However, this seems not to work on Ubuntu. Every morning I am greeted with a "Can't update Chrome" error in the browser, and following the instructions leads me to download a Debian file which opens in the Ubuntu Software manager but does not provide an option to install it. I understand that I could somehow configure unattended upgrades for apt but that sounds more complicated to me than just using Chrome's internal updater.

So my question is, how can I fix Chrome's internal updater on Ubuntu? Or is this just not intended (even though Chrome seems to suggest this to me), or are there any real good reasons to use apt instead?

I have installed Chrome by the deb file provided by Google.

Christoph Thiede
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    Please edit your question and describe how you installed the Chrome Browser. A possible solution may depend on the way of installation. – noisefloor Nov 06 '23 at 15:20

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Don't manually download the .deb file for Chrome updates, just use the inbuilt update manager in Ubuntu!!

In Ubuntu, software updates are managed centrally by APT and snaps (the update manager is a graphical front end for APT). Chrome linux package does not have an "internal upgrader".

Just make sure you run the update manager every week or so. Alternatively, choose to install updates automatically in the update manager.

or are there any real good reasons to use apt instead

Yes, with APT, you can apply all available updates with just two commands, which is much more convenient than updating each app manually (the Windows way).

sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade

However, you can also use the update manager application, which is a GUI front end for APT.

Archisman Panigrahi
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  • Chrome linux package does not have an "internal upgrader".

    This was surprising to me. Then why does Chrome greet me with a "Can't update Chrome" warning? This reads to me as if it generally was able to update itself.

     – Christoph Thiede Nov 08 '23 at 19:05
  • Google knows why. Chrome is a proprietary software. There is nothing we (the community) can do to control its behavior. – Archisman Panigrahi Nov 08 '23 at 22:20