Fix Ubuntu Software ‘snapd is not running’ Errors

You open Ubuntu Software to install a program, and instead of the usual store front you get a plain warning: snapd is not running. The catalogue may appear empty, installs may refuse to start, or the app may open and close without showing anything useful. It looks like the whole software store is broken, but in most cases only one background service has stopped, and restarting it brings everything back.

Snapd is the service that manages snap packages behind the scenes. Ubuntu Software relies on it not only for snap apps but also, on recent Ubuntu versions, for much of its general display. When the service is stopped, disabled, or stuck after an update, the store has nothing to talk to and shows this error.

Quick Answer

To fix Ubuntu Software showing snapd is not running, open a terminal and restart the service with sudo systemctl restart snapd, then check it with systemctl status snapd to confirm it says active. If it is disabled, enable it with sudo systemctl enable --now snapd. Close and reopen Ubuntu Software, and the store should load and install normally again.

What snapd Does and Why the Store Needs It

Snap is one of the package formats Ubuntu uses. Programs such as Firefox and Chromium are delivered as snaps on current Ubuntu releases, along with many other desktop apps. Snapd is the background daemon, a long-running service, that installs, updates, and removes those packages and keeps track of their permissions.

Ubuntu Software is only a friendly window. When you search for an app or click Install, the window asks snapd and the normal package system to do the real work. If snapd is not running, the window cannot fetch the snap catalogue, cannot show accurate information for snap packages, and on some versions gives up entirely with the not running message. Fixing the service fixes the store, which is why every method below focuses on snapd rather than reinstalling the store app itself.

Fix 1: Restart the snapd Service

This is the first thing to try, because a simple restart clears most temporary stalls, such as a service that froze during a system update or after the computer woke from sleep.

1. Open a terminal from the Activities overview by searching for Terminal.
2. Run sudo systemctl restart snapd and enter your password when asked.
3. Wait about ten seconds, then run systemctl status snapd.
4. Look for the words active (running) in green. Press q to leave the status view.
5. Close Ubuntu Software completely and open it again. Give it a few seconds to refresh its catalogue.

If the store now loads and a test search returns results, you are done. If the status command instead shows failed or inactive, keep working through the fixes below in order, because each one rules out a different cause.

Fix 2: Enable snapd If It Was Disabled

Sometimes snapd is not crashed but switched off. This can happen if you or a cleanup guide disabled it in the past to avoid snaps, or if a socket that starts it on demand has been masked.

Run sudo systemctl enable --now snapd. This single command sets snapd to start at every boot and starts it right now as well. Also check the related socket with sudo systemctl enable --now snapd.socket, since Ubuntu normally starts snapd through this socket when an app requests it. Afterwards, run systemctl status snapd again to confirm it is active, then reopen Ubuntu Software. The official Snapcraft getting started documentation describes how the service and socket are expected to behave on a healthy system.

Fix 3: Check for a Stuck or Half-Finished Snap Change

Snapd works through changes, which are queued tasks such as an install or refresh. If one change gets stuck, for example because the computer shut down mid-update, snapd can appear running yet respond badly, and the store shows errors.

Run snap changes to list recent tasks. Look for anything stuck in Doing or Undoing for a very long time. If you find such a change, note its number and stop it with sudo snap abort NUMBER, replacing NUMBER with the real ID. Then restart the service with sudo systemctl restart snapd and check snap version to confirm snapd answers normally. A healthy reply showing both snap and snapd versions means the communication channel is working again.

Fix 4: Make Sure the System Clock Is Correct

This cause surprises people, but snapd checks security signatures and store connections that depend on the correct date and time. If your clock is badly wrong, perhaps after a flat motherboard battery on a desktop, snapd can fail to contact the store and behave as if it is broken.

Open Settings, go to Date & Time, and make sure Automatic Date & Time is switched on. In the terminal, timedatectl shows the current system time and whether it is synchronised. Correct the clock if needed, restart snapd once more, and try the store again. This fix costs nothing to check and solves a stubborn minority of cases that no amount of reinstalling would cure.

Fix 5: Reinstall snapd Only If It Is Truly Broken

If snapd will not start at all and the status output shows repeated crashes, reinstalling the package can replace damaged files. This is a last resort, so try the earlier fixes first.

1. Run sudo apt update to refresh package lists.
2. Run sudo apt install --reinstall snapd to install a fresh copy over the current one.
3. Restart the service with sudo systemctl restart snapd and check its status.
4. Reopen Ubuntu Software and test a search and a small install.

Do not remove snapd completely with a purge unless you fully understand the consequences. On modern Ubuntu, important apps including the default browser are snaps, and removing the whole system can leave you without them and with a store that has even bigger problems. If the store itself, rather than snapd, turns out to be the damaged piece, our guide on fixing Ubuntu Software when it will not load or shows a blank window covers the app side of the repair.

How to Tell Whether the Fix Worked

Do not rely only on the error message disappearing. Run these quick checks: systemctl status snapd reports active, snap version prints version numbers without a warning, snap list shows your installed snaps, and Ubuntu Software loads its front page and completes a small test install. If all four pass, the problem is genuinely solved rather than temporarily hidden.

For deeper troubleshooting, the official Snapcraft troubleshooting guide lists service states, log commands such as journalctl -u snapd, and explanations of common error messages straight from the snap team.

Tips to Avoid the Problem Returning

Let snap updates finish before shutting down, especially when the system tells you a refresh is in progress. Avoid guides that tell you to disable or mask snapd unless you are certain you want no snap apps at all, because the store depends on it. Keep your system clock on automatic. And if the error appears right after a major Ubuntu upgrade, a single restart of the service, or of the whole computer, is usually all that the freshly upgraded system needs to settle.

Common Mistakes

A frequent mistake is reinstalling Ubuntu Software again and again while ignoring snapd. The store is just the window; if the service behind it is stopped, a fresh window changes nothing. Always check the service status first.

Another mistake is running sudo snap remove snap-store or similar commands copied from forums without understanding them. Removing parts of the snap system at random can delete apps you use daily and make diagnosis much harder.

People also sometimes mask the snapd service while following old debloating advice, then forget they did it. If systemctl status snapd says masked, unmask it with sudo systemctl unmask snapd before trying to enable it.

Finally, avoid force-killing snapd repeatedly while a change is in progress. Aborting a single stuck change through snap abort is the controlled way to recover; killing the daemon mid-write risks corrupting the very state you are trying to repair.

Conclusion

The snapd is not running message sounds serious, but it usually means one background service needs a restart or needs to be enabled again. Work through the fixes in order: restart snapd, enable it if disabled, clear any stuck change, check the clock, and reinstall the package only as a last resort. Verify with the service status and a test install, and Ubuntu Software should return to normal, ready to install and update your apps as before.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Ubuntu Software need snapd at all?

Many Ubuntu apps, including the default web browser on recent releases, are delivered as snap packages managed by snapd. Ubuntu Software asks snapd for the catalogue, installs, and updates for those apps, so when snapd stops, the store cannot do its job.

Will restarting snapd affect my installed apps?

No. Restarting the service does not remove or change any installed snap. Your apps, settings, and data stay exactly as they were. At most, an in-progress snap update pauses and resumes or restarts cleanly.

snapd shows active but the store still shows the error. What now?

Fully close Ubuntu Software, including any background window, then reopen it so it reconnects to the service. If it still fails, check snap changes for a stuck task and abort it, then restart snapd again.

Can I use Ubuntu without snapd?

Technically you can rely only on traditional packages, but modern Ubuntu is built around snaps for several default apps, and Ubuntu Software expects snapd to be present. For most home users, keeping snapd running is far simpler than working around its absence.

What does it mean if snapd keeps stopping after every reboot?

It is probably disabled or masked, so nothing starts it at boot. Run sudo systemctl unmask snapd if needed, then sudo systemctl enable --now snapd and the same for snapd.socket, and it should start automatically from then on.