How to Install, Update, and Uninstall Apps on Linux Using Flatpak

In this tutorial, we will learn how to install, update, and uninstall packages on Linux using the Flatpak package manager.

What is Flatpak?

Flatpak is a package manager for installing, updating, and removing software on Linux systems. Its goal is to be a universal package manager that works across all Linux distributions — unlike apt, which is specific to Debian-based systems, or dnf, which is used on Red Hat-based systems.

Flatpak Doesn’t Use System Libraries

Flatpak apps run in a completely isolated environment (sandboxed).
They do not use or depend on system runtimes or libraries.
Each Flatpak app brings its own runtime and additional dependencies.
Some runtimes are shared between apps, but not all.
Because of this, Flatpak apps usually take more disk space than apps installed via native package managers like APT or DNF.

How to Install Flatpak on Linux

Flatpak comes preinstalled on Linux Mint and Fedora. Other distributions don’t include it by default, but you can easily set it up by following the instructions on Flatpak's setup page.

Check Installed Flatpak Apps

To get started, run:

flatpak list

The above command lists all installed Flatpak apps and runtimes on your system. To list only the apps without the runtimes, use the --app option:

flatpak list --app

Search and Install Apps

Before installing, you need to find the Application ID — not just the name. To search for VLC, for example:

flatpak search vlc

This shows a list of matching apps. The important thing is that you install it using the Application ID:

flatpak install org.videolan.VLC

Update Flatpak Apps

To update all Flatpak packages:

flatpak update

To update a specific app:

flatpak update org.videolan.VLC

Uninstall Flatpak Apps

To uninstall a app the command is flatpak uninstall:

flatpak uninstall org.videolan.VLC

By default it will not not remove user data. To remove use data use the --delete-data with the uninstall command:

flatpak uninstall org.videolan.VLC --delete-data

Flatpak doesn’t automatically remove runtimes that are no longer needed. To clean them up:

flatpak uninstall --unused

Flatpak vs Native Package Manager: Which One Should You Use?

Use the native package manager if the available app version works for you.

Use Flatpak if:

You're on a desktop system.
Disk space is not a concern.
Flatpak provides a more up-to-date version of the app.

What's Next?

Master Your Package Manager: