Does WeChat run on Linux?

Verdict: Yes

Yes. Tencent now publishes an official WeChat for Linux, with installer files for Ubuntu style and Fedora style systems and an AppImage that runs without installing.

WeChat by Tencent · Chat & video calls · Has a Linux version

For years the answer here was no. That has changed. Tencent runs a Linux download site for WeChat and keeps it updated, offering the same three shapes most Linux apps come in: a file for Ubuntu and Mint style systems, a file for Fedora style systems, and an AppImage, which is a single file you double click.

There are builds for regular Intel and AMD computers and for ARM machines, so an older laptop and a newer ARM one are both covered.

Your account, contacts and chats belong to your WeChat account and your phone, so nothing is lost by leaving Windows. As on Windows, the desktop version is a companion to the phone app rather than a full replacement for it, and you sign in from the phone.

WeChat on Linux, and alternatives

Different way of workingFree

Only useful if the people you talk to will move with you. Strong Linux app, but it is not a way to reach WeChat contacts.

Check the next one

Last checked 19 September 2026. Sources:

linux.weixin.qq.com