How to Install Viber Messenger App on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS

Viber is an instant messaging and video calling app that allows you to send instant messages, photos, audio, video files, make free calls, and share your location with other Viber users. It connects people no matter where they are. Viber was first released for smartphones, then later also developed for desktop users including Windows, Linux, and macOS. Now you can easily use Viber right from your desktop while doing other work.

This article is about explaining how to install Viber on the Ubuntu system. There are the following two ways to install Viber in Ubuntu:

• Using a deb package
• Using a snap package

We will cover the installation of Viber via both methods using the command line Terminal application. You can launch the Terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T keyboard shortcut.

Also, note that the installation procedures have been tested on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.

Prerequisites

• Ubuntu 20.04 system
• User with sudo privileges

Install Viber via Deb Package

Follow the below step in order to install Viber on your system:

Step 1: Download Viber

The installer file of Viber is available at the official Viber website. To download the Viber deb file, go to Viber official website Downloads page and download Viber for Ubuntu. You can also download the Viber installer file from the command line using the wget command.

Issue the following command in Terminal to download Viber .deb installer file.

$ wget https://download.cdn.viber.com/cdn/desktop/Linux/viber.deb

Step 2: Install Viber

The next step is to install the Viber using the apt command. Issue the following command in Terminal in order to install the viber.deb package.

$ sudo apt install ./viber.deb

When asked for a password, type sudo password.

Install Viber via Snap Package

Follow the below steps in order to install Viber via snap package. However, in order to install any snap package, you will need snapd installed on your system.

Step 1: Install Snapd

Issue the following command in Terminal in order to install snapd on your system:

$ sudo apt install snapd

Step 2: Install Viber snap

Now you can install the Viber snap package. Issue the following command in Terminal to do so:

$ sudo snap install viber-unofficial

The installation of Viber will be started and once finished; you will be informed with the following message.

Launch Viber

Once you have finished installing the Viber using either of the above-described methods, you can search and launch it from the installed applications list in the Activities tab.

Alternatively, you can also launch the Viber from the command line. If you have installed Viber using the deb file, then use the following command in the Terminal to launch Viber:

$ /opt/viber/Viber

If you have installed Viber using the snap package, then use the following command in the Terminal to launch Viber:

$ viber-unofficial.viber

When you will launch Viber application for the first time, you will see the following view:

In the above screenshot, you can see three steps instructions about using Viber on your system. Follow these steps in the same order, after which the setup wizard will appear. Using the simple and self-explanatory wizard, you can easily set up and use Viber on your system.

Remove Viber

In case, you no longer need the Viber application, you can remove it using the following command in the Terminal:

$ sudo apt remove viber

When asked for confirmation, hit y, after which Viber will be removed from your system.

If you have installed Viber via snap package, then use the following command to remove it:

$ sudo snap remove viber-unofficial

That is all there is to it! Now you can easily install and use Viber on your Ubuntu desktop. As you have seen, the installation of Viber is simple both via deb and the snap package. You can use any of these methods based on your preferences.