How to Remove Snap Completely from Ubuntu (2026 Guide)

Snap is Canonical's universal packaging system, and on modern Ubuntu it is hard to avoid. Firefox, the App Center and several core components ship as snaps by default. Many users dislike this because of slower first launches, loop devices cluttering lsblk output, sandbox quirks and a dislike of the closed Snap Store backend.

If you want a leaner system built on apt, Flatpak or native .deb packages, you can remove Snap entirely. But Snap is wired into Ubuntu, so the order of steps matters. Removing snapd first will leave orphaned packages behind, and a careless apt install firefox will pull Snap right back in.

This guide shows you how to remove Snap completely from Ubuntu, block it from returning and replace the apps you lose. The steps apply to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, 24.04 LTS and newer releases.

What You Need Before You Start

Prerequisites

• A working Ubuntu installation with sudo access

• A terminal (press Ctrl + Alt + T)

• A backup of any browser profiles or app data you care about

Back Up Your Data First

Removing a snap with --purge deletes its data. If you use the Firefox snap, export your bookmarks and passwords from the browser first. Snap app data lives in ~/snap/, so copy anything important out of that folder before you start.

Step-by-Step: How to Remove Snap Completely from Ubuntu

Step 1: List All Installed Snaps

See what is installed:

bash

snap list

A typical fresh Ubuntu desktop shows something like this:

text

Name                Version        Rev    Tracking
bare                1.0            5      latest/stable
core22              20240111       1033   latest/stable
firefox             122.0          3836   latest/stable
gnome-42-2204       0+git.ff35a85  141    latest/stable
gtk-common-themes   0.1-81         1535   latest/stable
snap-store          41.3           959    latest/stable
snapd               2.61           20671  latest/stable

Write down the full list. You will remove everything in it.

Step 2: Remove Snap Packages in the Right Order

Snaps depend on each other, so remove applications first and base runtimes last.

2a. Remove the applications

bash

sudo snap remove --purge firefox
sudo snap remove --purge snap-store

The --purge flag skips the automatic snapshot Snap normally saves, so the data is deleted for good.

2b. Remove themes and runtimes

Package names vary by Ubuntu version, so use the names from your own snap list:

bash

sudo snap remove --purge gnome-42-2204
sudo snap remove --purge gtk-common-themes

2c. Remove the base snaps and core

bash

sudo snap remove --purge bare
sudo snap remove --purge core22
sudo snap remove --purge snapd

If a removal fails with "snap has dependents," another snap still needs it. Run snap list again and remove the dependent first.

Step 3: Stop and Disable the Snap Services

Once only snapd remains, stop the background services:

bash

sudo systemctl stop snapd.service snapd.socket snapd.seeded.service
sudo systemctl disable snapd.service snapd.socket snapd.seeded.service

Optionally, mask the service so nothing can start it by accident:

bash

sudo systemctl mask snapd.service

Step 4: Unmount Leftover Snap Mounts

Check whether any snap mounts are still active:

bash

mount | grep snap

If you see entries, unmount them:

bash

sudo umount /snap/core/*

On most systems, removing all snaps in Step 2 already cleared these.

Step 5: Purge the snapd Package

Now remove the Snap daemon itself:

bash

sudo apt autoremove --purge snapd

Read apt's confirmation list before you press Y. If it proposes removing a large desktop meta-package such as ubuntu-desktop, stop and review. In most cases only snapd and a few related packages are listed.

Step 6: Delete Leftover Snap Directories

Package removal does not always clean up everything:

bash

rm -rf ~/snap
sudo rm -rf /snap /var/snap /var/lib/snapd /var/cache/snapd

Be careful with rm -rf. Double-check the paths before pressing Enter.

Step 7: Block Snap from Being Reinstalled

This step is the one people skip. Ubuntu's firefox, chromium-browser and similar .deb packages are transitional packages that quietly reinstall snapd. Prevent that with an APT pin.

Create the file:

bash

sudo nano /etc/apt/preferences.d/nosnap.pref

Paste in:

text

Package: snapd
Pin: release a=*
Pin-Priority: -10

Save it (Ctrl + O, Enter, Ctrl + X). A priority of -10 tells APT never to install snapd, even as a dependency.

You can also hold the package:

bash

sudo apt-mark hold snapd

Verify the pin works:

bash

apt policy snapd

You should see a pin priority of -10 and no candidate version.

Practical Examples: Replacing What You Removed

Removing Snap also removes Firefox and the App Center, so set up replacements right away.

Example 1: Install Firefox as a .deb Package

Option A: Mozilla's official APT repository

Mozilla publishes its own repository with native Firefox packages:

bash

sudo install -d -m 0755 /etc/apt/keyrings
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/null
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list

Then give the Mozilla repository priority over Ubuntu's transitional package:

bash

echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000
' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

Finally install it:

bash

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

Option B: The Mozilla Team PPA

An older, widely used alternative is the community PPA:

bash

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mozillateam/ppa

You will need a similar pin file so APT prefers the PPA version. Option A is cleaner because it comes directly from Mozilla.

Example 2: Install a Software Store Without Snap

Replace the Snap-based App Center with GNOME Software and Flatpak support:

bash

sudo apt install gnome-software gnome-software-plugin-flatpak flatpak
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Log out and back in, and GNOME Software will show both .deb and Flathub apps.

Example 3: Install Apps from Flathub

bash

flatpak install flathub org.videolan.VLC
flatpak install flathub com.spotify.Client

Most popular desktop apps are available this way.

Example 4: Confirm Snap Is Gone

Run these checks:

bash

snap --version
which snap
ls /snap

You should see "command not found" or "no such file or directory" for each.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Removing snapd Before the Other Snaps

If you purge snapd first, you can no longer run snap remove, and the remaining snap mounts and directories are left orphaned. Always remove the applications and runtimes first.

Skipping the APT Pin

Without the pin file, a routine sudo apt install firefox or a system upgrade can reinstall snapd and the Firefox snap. Treat the pin as part of the removal, not an optional extra.

Forgetting That Other Apps Are Snaps Too

On some Ubuntu versions, Chromium, Thunderbird and other apps use the same transitional-package trick. Before you start, check what your system depends on with snap list, and plan replacements for each app.

Running rm -rf Without Checking Paths

A typo in a recursive delete can do serious damage. Copy and paste the commands exactly, and never add a stray space or an extra /.

Ignoring Release Upgrades

When you upgrade Ubuntu to a new release, the upgrade tool may try to bring snapd back. Re-check apt policy snapd after each major upgrade and confirm your pin file is still in /etc/apt/preferences.d/.

Not Backing Up Browser Data

snap remove --purge deletes your Firefox profile in ~/snap/firefox. If you skip the backup, bookmarks, saved logins and extensions are gone.

Benefits of Removing Snap

Performance Benefits

• Faster app launches. Native .deb apps avoid the squashfs mounting and sandbox startup that can delay snaps, especially on the first run.

• Lower disk overhead. Each snap bundles its own dependencies and keeps several revisions on disk.

• No loop device clutter. Your lsblk and df -h output becomes readable again.

Control and Transparency

• Standard package management. Everything goes through apt, which you already know.

• No forced automatic updates. Snap refreshes in the background on its own schedule, while apt updates happen when you choose.

• Open ecosystem. Flatpak's Flathub and distro repositories are open, while Snap Store's server side is proprietary.

Better Desktop Integration

Native packages follow your system themes, file dialogs and fonts without the portal workarounds that sandboxed packages sometimes need.

Snap vs Flatpak vs APT vs AppImage: How They Compare

Removing Snap doesn't leave you without options. Here is how the main Linux packaging formats compare:

The practical takeaway: use apt for system tools and core software, Flatpak for the latest desktop apps and AppImage for one-off portable programs. Snap only has a unique advantage if you rely on Ubuntu Core or Canonical-only snaps.

Conclusion

To remove Snap completely from Ubuntu, you need to do it in the right order. List your snaps, remove applications and runtimes, stop the services, purge snapd, delete the leftover directories and pin snapd so it cannot return. Then replace Firefox and your software store with native packages or Flatpak.

Done properly, you end up with a cleaner, more predictable Ubuntu setup built on apt and open ecosystems. Just remember to back up your data first and check apt policy snapd after major upgrades so Snap does not sneak back in.