Install Nextcloud on Ubuntu in 1 Step (Super Easy Method 2025)

Update Ubuntu First

Start on your Ubuntu server or PC, open the terminal, and refresh the package list before installing anything. This makes sure the snap install that follows pulls the latest package information and goes through cleanly.

sudo apt update

Install Nextcloud in One Step

Now the one step this whole method is famous for. The official Nextcloud snap package bundles everything Nextcloud needs — the web server, PHP and the database — inside a single package, so there is no separate LAMP stack to install and configure by hand.

sudo snap install nextcloud

Watch the Install Finish

The snap keeps working in the background for a short while after the install command returns. Check its progress with this command and wait until the Nextcloud install task shows as done before moving on.

snap changes nextcloud

Open Nextcloud in the Browser

From any computer on the same network, open the server address in a browser — replace the placeholder with your Ubuntu machine's actual IP address.

http://YOUR-SERVER-IP

The Nextcloud page loading at this address confirms the snap is up and serving. The video finishes the setup from the terminal next, which is faster than the browser setup screen.

Create the Admin Account

Back in the terminal, create the administrator account with the snap's manual-install command. This completes the Nextcloud installation and creates the user admin with the password you choose — replace YourStrongPassword with a strong password of your own.

sudo nextcloud.manual-install admin YourStrongPassword

Check the Trusted Domains

Nextcloud only answers browser requests that arrive for a host listed in its trusted domains — anything else is refused with an "Access through untrusted domain" message. See the current list using the snap's occ command-line tool:

sudo nextcloud.occ config:system:get trusted_domains

The list is numbered. If the IP address or domain you open in the browser is not on it, add it in the next step.

Add Your IP or Domain

Add your server's address as a new trusted-domains entry. The number 1 is the position in the list (the first entry, position 0, is already taken) — replace the placeholder with your real server IP, or with your domain name if you have one pointed at the server.

sudo nextcloud.occ config:system:set trusted_domains 1 --value=YOUR-SERVER-IP

Turn On Free HTTPS

The snap ships with a built-in tool that sets up HTTPS using a free Let's Encrypt certificate. Run it and follow its prompts — it asks for the domain name you want the certificate for and an email address for certificate notices.

sudo nextcloud.enable-https lets-encrypt

For this to succeed, your domain must already point to this server and ports 80 and 443 must be reachable from the internet, because Let's Encrypt verifies the domain before issuing the certificate. The certificate then renews itself automatically.

First Settings Done Properly

Log in with the admin account you created and open Settings. Under Administration → Overview, Nextcloud shows its security and setup warnings — work through anything it flags there first; a clean report means the basic setup is done properly.

Then create separate user accounts for everyday use — for yourself and for family or team members — instead of everyone sharing the admin login. Your private cloud is ready: upload files from the browser, or sign in from the Nextcloud desktop and mobile apps with the same server address.