How to fix a bug where tapping Instagram accounts in search results doesn't show the profile

On an Android device with the Instagram app installed, I encountered a bug where tapping an Instagram account displayed in Google search results (or other search engines) would open the Instagram app's home screen instead of the profile page.

This article explains how to fix this bug.

Bug details

The following issue occurred on an Android smartphone with the Instagram app installed:

1. Search for an Instagram account on Google.
2. Tap the Instagram account displayed in the search results.
3. The Instagram app opens.
4. Instead of the Instagram account's profile page, the Instagram app's home screen is displayed.

What didn't work

I tried the following, but they had no effect:

• Force-quitting the Instagram app.
• Logging out and logging back into the Instagram app.
• Switching accounts logged into the Instagram app.
• Clearing the Instagram app's cache.
• Clearing the Instagram app's storage.
• Long-pressing the Instagram app icon, opening App info, changing "Open by default" from "In app" to "In browser," and then changing it back to "In app."

Many recent articles found in searches that dealt with similar issues suggested these as solutions, but none of them worked.

Since the Instagram app itself was opening, I had already guessed that the last one wouldn't work before even trying it.

Many recent articles dealing with similar issues seemed to be written by AI, and appeared to contain only generic troubleshooting steps that hadn't been verified to actually solve the issue.

What worked

While trying the various steps mentioned above, an update for the Instagram app was released, and updating it solved the problem.

The aforementioned issue occurred with Instagram app version 416.0.0.47.66 but was resolved in version 417.0.0.54.77.

On Android devices, you can update the Instagram app to the latest version by following these steps:

1. Open the Play Store app.

2. Tap the profile icon in the top right corner.

3. A menu will appear; tap [Manage apps & device]

4. Tap the [Updates available] section.

5. If Instagram is displayed under [Updates available], update it.

Conclusion

I encountered a bug where tapping an Instagram account displayed in Google search results would open the Instagram app, but show the home screen instead of the profile.

Most recent articles dealing with similar cases that I found in searches were unhelpful, but updating the app fixed the bug.

This issue occurred in Instagram app version 416.0.0.47.66 but was resolved in version 417.0.0.54.77, so it is recommended to update to this version or later.