Since Ubuntu 24.04, the developers at Canonical have replaced the stock GNOME Software Center with its own ‘App Center’. This would not have been a bad thing if the developers had fully integrated every feature of the GNOME software Center in their App store, instead the developers shipped a half-baked app store on the most used Linux distribution.
With the new app center, you cannot just double-click on DEB files and install applications, and there are many other quirks as well related to the Snap package manager. So, in this tutorial, we will try to install the original GNOME software on Ubuntu 24.04.
What you need before you install
The install itself is light on requirements, since GNOME Software has been a standard Ubuntu package since 16.04 and needs nothing outside the default repositories.
- A working internet connection, since the package and its plugins download from Ubuntu’s repos
- Sudo access on the account you are using
- About 50 MB of free disk space for the app itself, more if the install-suggests flag pulls in the Flatpak plugin
- Ubuntu 24.04 or newer, since that is the version where App Center replaced GNOME Software as the default
Installing GNOME Software center on Ubuntu
The steps are really simple and all you have to do is open a Terminal window and install it using the APT package manager by using the following commands:
sudo apt install gnome-software --install-suggests
The –install-suggests flag lets you add the plugins to the Software Center, which helps you enable Flatpaks on the store.
As you can see, we have successfully installed the GNOME Software Center on our Ubuntu System. Now you can begin installing programs from the new store. You can also add the Flathub repository using:
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
Installing and Uninstalling Application
Once the package is installed on your system, search it from the Application menu and then launch it.
Now, you can select or search any application you want and select the source of the application (Snaps, Flatpaks, Apt, or any other repository) and simply click on the install button.
Similarly, navigate to the ‘Installed Applications’ section and click on the uninstall button if you want to remove something from your PC from the Software Store.
From the hamburger menu located on the top right, you can select the repositories and other software sources from where you would want to download the applications.
Making GNOME Software the default
If you often install applications from the DEB files downloaded from the internet rather than the apt package manager, then you can make GNOME Software the default option for installing programs whenever you double-click on the Deb file.
First, download any random application for Ubuntu in the Deb format, for example I’ll download Freetube DEB file on my Ubuntu system.
On the downloaded DEB file, right click and select the ‘Open with other Application’ option.
From the dialog box, select the ‘Software Install’ option and select the ‘Always use this for file type’ option so that it gets selected as the default option whenever you try to open the DEB file, and then click Open.
As you can see, GNOME software will open, and you can simply install the package by clicking on the ‘Install’ button.
What’s different between GNOME Software and Ubuntu’s App Center
Ubuntu’s default App Center is not a fork of GNOME Software anymore. Canonical rebuilt it from scratch in Flutter and Dart, first shipping it in Ubuntu 23.10 as a Snap-focused replacement for the old Software Center. It looked friendlier but it dropped GNOME Software’s DEB double-click support and its native Flatpak integration, which is the whole reason this guide exists. Ubuntu 26.04 closed part of that gap in March 2026, adding the ability to view and manage already-installed DEB packages from inside App Center using PackageKit and Appstream on the backend. Flatpak support through App Center is still missing though, so if Flathub matters to you, the classic GNOME Software Center still covers ground App Center does not.
- GNOME Software: native Flatpak support, installs DEB files by double-click, GTK interface
- Ubuntu App Center: Snap-first, Flutter interface, added Deb package viewing in March 2026, no native Flatpak support
App Center’s history is a little unusual for a piece of core Ubuntu software. It actually grew out of an unofficial, community-built app that Canonical later adopted and rebuilt officially, rather than starting as an in-house Canonical project from day one.
A quick history of GNOME Software on Ubuntu
GNOME Software itself is not new to Ubuntu. Canonical dropped the original Ubuntu Software Center in favor of GNOME Software back in Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, well before Snap or App Center existed. That earlier switch was uncontroversial since GNOME Software mostly looked and worked like what it replaced. The 24.04 switch to App Center felt bigger because it changed workflows people had relied on for close to a decade, not just the interface. Ubuntu forums picked up plenty of App Center complaints through 2024 and 2025 about DEB handling, the same gap this guide works around.
Common problems when you install GNOME on Ubuntu
A handful of issues come up often enough to mention here, since they can make it look like the install failed when the Software Center is actually fine.
GNOME Software will not open
If GNOME Software fails to launch, it is usually a broken plugin, not a broken package. Run gnome-software --verbose in a terminal to see the actual error. A stuck cache is the next likely cause, clear it with rm -rf ~/.cache/gnome-software and reopen the app. Reinstalling with sudo apt install --reinstall gnome-software clears up the rest.
No updates show up
GNOME Software reads update information from PackageKit, and if PackageKit’s cache is stale you will see no updates even when some exist. Run sudo pkcon refresh force to rebuild it, then reopen GNOME Software and check the Updates tab again. This is unrelated to whether App Center shows updates, since the two apps keep separate caches.
Flatpak apps do not show up in the store
This usually means Flathub was never added as a remote, or the gnome-software-plugin-flatpak package is missing. Confirm the plugin is installed with apt list --installed | grep flatpak, install it if it is missing, then add Flathub again with the flatpak remote-add command from earlier in this guide.
GNOME Software disappears after an Ubuntu version upgrade
A do-release-upgrade run occasionally removes gnome-software if it conflicts with a newer App Center package during the upgrade. Check first with dpkg -l | grep gnome-software, and if it is gone, just run the install command from the top of this guide again. Your Flathub remote and installed Flatpak apps survive the upgrade either way.
GNOME Software keeps asking for a password
If every single install or update prompts for authentication even for small Flatpak apps, the polkit rules for the Flatpak system helper are missing rather than broken. Reinstalling the plugin with sudo apt install --reinstall gnome-software-plugin-flatpak restores the default rules, and after that only system-wide installs should ask for your password.
Keeping GNOME Software updated and removing it
Update GNOME Software and its plugins
GNOME Software updates through the regular APT cycle, so sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade keeps both the app and its Flatpak or Snap plugins current. There is no separate updater to run, and no need to reinstall it after a routine Ubuntu update unless the update removed it, which the section above covers.
Remove GNOME Software
If GNOME Software is not for you after trying it, remove it with sudo apt remove --purge gnome-software followed by sudo apt autoremove to clear out packages it pulled in as dependencies. This leaves the default App Center untouched, since the two applications do not share packages or configuration.
Which one should you actually use
Neither app is strictly better, they cover different gaps. Reach for GNOME Software if you regularly install Flatpaks or DEB files you downloaded yourself, since it handles both natively. Stick with App Center if you mostly install Snaps and the occasional apt package, since Ubuntu keeps that path best supported. Plenty of users, including the one writing this guide, just keep both installed and pick whichever fits the app of the day. Running both costs little beyond disk space, since neither runs a background service while closed.
Key Takeaways
- Install with
sudo apt install gnome-software --install-suggests - The install-suggests flag adds the Flatpak plugin automatically
- Add Flathub separately with the
flatpak remote-addcommand - App Center still cannot browse or install Flatpaks as of Ubuntu 26.04
- App Center gained basic Deb package viewing in March 2026
- Set GNOME Software as the default DEB handler through “Open with other application”
- Clear
~/.cache/gnome-softwareif the app will not launch - Remove it anytime with
sudo apt remove --purge gnome-software
Frequently asked questions
Can I install GNOME Software on Ubuntu 26.04?
Yes. Run sudo apt install gnome-software --install-suggests from a terminal. The same command works unchanged on Ubuntu 24.04, 25.10 and 26.04.
Does GNOME Software replace Ubuntu’s App Center?
No, both apps run side by side. Installing GNOME Software adds a second software manager, it does not remove or disable App Center on your system.
Why does GNOME Software show no Flatpak apps?
Flathub is not enabled by default. Run the flatpak remote-add command with the Flathub repository URL, then restart GNOME Software to see Flatpak apps appear.
Can App Center install DEB files directly?
Only since March 2026, and only for viewing and updating packages already installed through apt. It still cannot double-click install a downloaded DEB file.
How do I uninstall GNOME Software?
Run sudo apt remove --purge gnome-software then sudo apt autoremove. This removes GNOME Software completely and leaves App Center working as normal.
What does the install-suggests flag actually do?
It tells apt to also install recommended packages, which for GNOME Software means the Flatpak plugin, giving you Flatpak support without running a second command.
Is GNOME Software safe to run alongside App Center?
Yes, the two apps use separate caches and configuration files, so running both side by side never causes conflicts or duplicates any installed application.
Does removing App Center break anything?
App Center handles Snap updates and the Ubuntu security dashboard notifications, so removing it entirely is not recommended. Installing GNOME Software alongside it is the safer route for most people.