How to Install Facebook Messenger Linux Client on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS

In this tutorial we are going to look at how to install a third-party Facebook Messenger Linux client on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS. The app in question is called Messenger for Desktop, available for Linux, OS X and Windows.

Messenger for Desktop features:

  • Make HD voice and video calls anywhere in the world.
  • Snap photos and shoot videos
  • Thousands of Stickers
  • Record voice messages
  • Group chat
  • Launch on OS startup
  • Native notifications
  • Custom themes

Install Facebook Messenger Linux Client on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS

The installation is very simple. Just go to Messenger for Desktop website and download the deb package of your OS architecture which can be checked with a simple arch command.

linux 32 bit or 64 bit

  • x86 means 32 bits
  • x86_64 means 64 bits

After the deb packages is downloaded, open a terminal window and navigate to the download folder. Then install it with the following command.

sudo dpkg -i messengerfordesktop*.deb

Once installed, you can start it from Unity dash or your application menu.

install facebook messenger on ubuntu 16.04 LTS

Messenger for Desktop is installed in /opt/messengerfordesktop/ directory. You can also start it with this command:

/opt/messengerfordesktop/messengerfordesktop

or

messengerfordesktop

Sign in with your Facebook account.

messenger for desktop ubuntu 16.04 sign in

And there you have it.

Facebook Messenger Linux client on Ubuntu 16.04

SSL Error

Some users report that they have encountered SSL error when opening the app. If you launch Messenger in the terminal, you may find this error message.

Unknown SSL error -12218 (SSL_ERROR_ENCRYPTION_FAILURE) mapped to net::ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL_ERROR

To solve this problem, you can download the latest beta release of Messenger for Desktop on Github. Once downloaded, install it with the following command:

sudo dpkg -i Messenger_linux*.deb

If for any reason you want to remove this app, run the below command:

sudo apt remove messengerfordesktop

And that’s it! I hope this tutorial helped you install Facebook Messenger Linux client on your Ubuntu 16.04 machine. As always, if you found this post useful,  subscribe to our free newsletter or follow us on Google+Twitter or like our Facebook page. Thanks for visiting.

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5 Responses to “How to Install Facebook Messenger Linux Client on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS

  • Forest Lake
    7 years ago

    this looks to be a great app ! I am using it now and it works very well and looks pretty darn sexy to me 😉

  • Hendrik Lennel
    6 years ago

    I too use messenger for desktop now, works good, but one problem when using it on Linux Mint 17, I can’t get the video chat working at all. Don’t understand why not, because it does work under Kubuntu 14.04. So why the heck not in Linux Mint?

  • George Laurentiu Calistru
    6 years ago

    Hello. Is working this deb file. Thanks. 😉

  • Sniffer
    5 years ago

    Sorry but now its not supported, only available downloads are for windows and for mac. Sorry not running FB ME in wine …

  • lo he desinstalado pero aun me sigue corriendo..
    necesito desinstalarlo por falta de memoria

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