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To install and manage GNOME Shell extensions, choose the route that fits your setup: use the GNOME Extensions website with its browser integration and native host connector, manage installed extensions in the GNOME Extensions app, install distribution-packaged extensions with your package manager, or use the gnome-extensions command in a terminal. First check your running GNOME Shell version: extensions declare which Shell versions they support, and the steps and available packages vary by distribution.
What GNOME Shell extensions do—and what to check first
GNOME Shell extensions are third-party code that changes or adds behavior in parts of the GNOME interface. Before installing one, identify the GNOME Shell version currently running and check the extension’s declared compatibility. An extension that does not list support for your Shell version may not work correctly.
The installed-extensions interface documents a setting that permits loading extensions that do not claim compatibility with the running version. Treat it only as a compatibility override: it does not demonstrate that an extension works, is reliable, or is safe. GNOME’s installed-extensions guidance explains the version setting.
Choose an installation and management route
| Route | Best for | Requirements and cautions |
|---|---|---|
| GNOME Shell Extensions website | Finding extensions in GNOME’s catalog and installing from a browser | Requires a browser extension and a native host messaging application. Follow connector instructions for your distribution and browser; browser permissions and proxy settings can affect installation. |
| GNOME Extensions app | Updating, configuring, disabling, and removing installed extensions | Requires GNOME 3.36 or newer. GNOME’s app listing reported version 50.0 released on 2026-03-14; that is a dated listing detail, not a promise that it remains the latest version. |
| Distribution packages | Installing extensions packaged and maintained by your Linux distribution | Package availability and names vary. For distro-provided or system extensions, use the distribution package manager; removing a system extension may require an administrator. |
gnome-extensions command |
Listing, inspecting, enabling, disabling, or operating on extensions from a terminal | Commands and behavior can vary by release. Consult local gnome-extensions help and your distribution’s documentation. Ubuntu Noble’s manual describes this tool mainly for testing, not as a replacement for the website. |
GNOME documents browser integration as a browser extension working with a native messaging application. The GNOME Extensions website’s catalog and integration guidance describe the website route; use your distribution’s connector instructions rather than assuming one package name works everywhere.
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Install from the GNOME Extensions website
- Check your Shell version. Confirm the running GNOME Shell version and compare it with the extension’s declared support.
- Set up website integration. Install and enable the appropriate browser extension and the distribution-provided native host connector. Both parts are needed for the website’s install control to communicate with GNOME Shell.
- Open the catalog and choose an extension. Review its compatibility information and maintainer details, then use its install control.
- Confirm and manage it locally. If prompted, approve the installation. Use the GNOME Extensions app or the command-line tool to inspect, configure, disable, or remove it.
GNOME’s website integration troubleshooting page covers common installation failures.
Manage extensions with the GNOME Extensions app
The GNOME Extensions application provides controls for installed extensions, including updates, preferences, disabling, and removal. GNOME lists GNOME 3.36 or newer as a requirement. Find the app through your desktop’s application launcher or install it through the software source supported by your distribution.
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Use the app when you want a graphical way to see what is installed and adjust an extension’s settings. If an extension causes a problem, disable it there first; removing it is a separate action. The GNOME app listing reports version 50.0 as released on 2026-03-14.
Use the gnome-extensions command
Ubuntu 24.04 Noble’s manual documents these command forms. Replace UUID with the extension’s identifier; availability and exact behavior may differ on other releases, so check gnome-extensions help locally.
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| Task | Command documented for Ubuntu Noble |
|---|---|
| List extensions | gnome-extensions list |
| Enable an extension | gnome-extensions enable UUID |
| Disable an extension | gnome-extensions disable UUID |
| Show extension information | gnome-extensions info UUID |
| Show extension details | gnome-extensions show UUID |
| Open extension preferences | gnome-extensions prefs UUID |
| Install a package | gnome-extensions install PACK |
| Uninstall an extension | gnome-extensions uninstall UUID |
These forms come from Ubuntu Noble’s gnome-extensions manual, which identifies the supplied gnome-shell package as 46.0-0ubuntu6~24.04.14 at the time documented. That package detail is specific to Ubuntu 24.04 Noble and can change; do not assume the same commands or package version apply unchanged to every Linux distribution.
Understand per-user and system-wide extensions
GNOME distinguishes extensions installed for one account from extensions installed for all users:
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- Per-user:
~/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions/<uuid> - Machine-wide:
/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/<uuid>
A machine-wide installation makes an extension available to users on that computer, but newly installed machine-wide extensions are disabled by default. Administrators can set default enabled extension UUIDs with the org.gnome.shell.enabled-extensions dconf key. GNOME notes that this default does not enable additional extensions for users who have already logged in. This is administrator-level deployment, not the usual route for a personal desktop. See GNOME’s system administrator guide to extensions.
Why can’t I install extensions?
- The website install control does nothing: Check that the browser integration extension is installed and enabled and that the native host messaging application is present. If your browser uses click-to-play, allow the site to run the integration.
- Installation fails behind a proxy: GNOME advises configuring the proxy in both the browser and GNOME Network settings.
- A packaging-related install fails: Check whether the
unzippackage is installed. - The extension is reported as incompatible: Verify the actual running Shell version and the extension’s declared compatibility. Overriding version validation does not establish that the extension will work.
- You need to report a failure: Include your GNOME version, distribution and version, steps already tried, and relevant information from Looking Glass’s Extensions and Errors tabs.
- You cannot remove a system extension: Use the distribution package manager or ask an administrator; system-wide files require administrator privileges to uninstall.
Compatibility, support, and trust
GNOME states that extensions are supported by their authors, not by the GNOME community. Compatibility checks are not an individual security review: the official guidance cited here does not provide a current security rating for each extension. Check the declared Shell-version support and maintainer information, and disable or remove an extension if it causes problems.
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