Recently a lot of people have been facing issues with TikTok where a person clicks on the Instagram icon on TikTok, and it opens Instagram on Safari instead of the Instagram app.
This is now a common issue that a lot of people face. If you are a person who is active on both Instagram and TikTok, this can be very frustrating and irritating as well.
TikTok is known for its ability to link to other social media platforms like Instagram. Whenever a person visits your profile, they can instantly visit your Instagram profile with a single tap.
Similarly, when you visit a TikTok profile, you can easily land on their Instagram profile by tapping on the Instagram icon as well.
Things are not going well lately. But worry not as I have some solutions to fix the problem.
Why Does Tiktok Open Instagram On Safari?
There are several reasons why TikTok opens Instagram on the Safari browser instead of the Instagram app. What is more frustrating is that this happens even when the Instagram app is installed on your iPhone.
Outdated TikTok app or Instagram app, the misconfigured app default setting, etc., are a few reasons why TikTok tends to open Instagram on the Safari browser when you click on the Instagram icon on a TikTok profile.
The exact reason why this happens is unknown. Many people have complained about this issue on various forums, including Reddit and TikTok support. Sooner than later, we can expect TikTok to release an update that should solve the problem for most users.
On the other hand, some users do not face any issues opening the Instagram app directly within the TikTok app. Since only some people face this issue, there should be something stopping others from opening the Instagram app from TikTok.
Let’s see how to fix it.
How To Fix Tiktok Opening Instagram On Safari
Let’s go through some troubleshooting tips to help you quickly solve issues.
Update TikTok
The first thing you want to do is update the TikTok app on your device to the latest version. It has been here for a long time and is a known issue. TikTok might have fixed it with an update.
If you are using an older version of the TikTok app, it is recommended that you update it to the latest version to eliminate the issue.
Update TikTok on iOS:
If you are an iPhone user, follow the steps below to update TikTok manually.
- Open App Store and tap on your profile picture on the top left corner of the screen
- Scroll down a bit and find a section called upcoming automatic updates.
- Go through the list and find TikTok. Once found, click the Update button.
Tap Open In App Option
iOS allows us to choose which app to open a link when pressed. The same can be used to open Instagram links on TikTok directly in the Instagram app.
Next time, when you are about to click the Instagram link on TikTok, follow the steps below to open the Instagram app instead Safari directly.
Long tap on the link to reveal the Open in App option, which will list Instagram as one of the choices. On the pop-up that appears, tap on Instagram. This should directly launch the Instagram app on your iOS device.
You may use this hack to open the Instagram link on TikTok until TikTok fixes the issue, causing it to open the Instagram link on Safari.
Ensure You Are Not Using Modded Version Of Instagram
There are plenty of modded versions of the Instagram app available to use. If you are an iPhone user using a modded version of Instagram, then that might be one of the reasons why TikTok is failing to open the Instagram app directly.
The modded versions of the Instagram app will be prone to security issues and bugs. It is highly advised not to use this app on your smartphone.
Furthermore, many essential features will also be missing on the modded version.
If you are using a modded version of Instagram like GB Instagram, or Instagram++ Instagram Plus, follow the steps below to make TikTok open the Instagram app directly.
- Uninstall the modded version of the Instagram app from your device
- Head to App Store and search for Instagram
- Tap the Get button
- Once installed, open the app and log in to your Instagram account
- Open TikTok and click the Instagram button and see if it opens on the Instagram app now
Update Instagram App
The outdated version of the Instagram app will miss out on some major functionalities and causes issues when tryin to open from other apps like TikTok.
By simply updating the Instagram app on your iOS device, you can fix various issues that might be stopping Instagram from working the way it should.
On iOS:
- Open App Store
- Tap on your profile picture from the top left corner of the screen
- Scroll down and find the automatic updates section
- Find TikTok from the list and tap on the Update button.
Clear Safari Settings & History
Clearing the history and website data on Safari can help you fix the issue where TikTok opens the Instagram link on the Safari browser.
If you have unknowingly set Safari as the default option when clicking on an Instagram link, TikTok won’t be able to open Instagram. In this case, clearing the website data should help you fix the issue.
Let’s quickly go through how to clear website data and history on Safari on iPhone.
Open Settings on your iPhone.
Scroll down and tap on Safari.
Scroll down and tap on Clear History and Website Data.
On the pop-up that appears, tap Clear History and Data.
Tap Close Tabs.
We have successfully removed cookies, website data, and history from Safari. Since we removed the website data for TikTok and Instagram, the defaults should be reset now.
Try to tap on the Instagram link now and see if it opens the Instagram app.
Reinstall TikTok
Reinstalling the TikTok app on your device can sometimes fix the issue where it cannot open the Instagram app.
You should always download the Instagram app only from the App Store and Play Store.
Deleting the TikTok app will delete drafts, so backup or download the drafts before you proceed.
If minor glitches or bugs are why TikTok is failing to open Instagram directly, then reinstalling TikTok should fix the issue in most cases.
Start by uninstalling the existing version of TikTok from your iOS device.
On iOS, long tap on the TikTok icon from the app drawer and tap on the Remove App option. On the pop-up that appears, tap on the Delete app. Tab Delete again. Once uninstalled, open App Store and search for TikTok. Tap the Get button. Double-press the power button and authenticate to install the app.
Log into your account after reinstalling Instagram and try opening an Instagram link from TikTok and see if it works this time.
Reinstall Instagram
Similar to TikTok, reinstalling Instagram is another option that you must try to fix the issue. The Instagram app might be experiencing some bugs or technical glitches as well. If this is the case, reinstalling Instagram on your iOS device should help us fix the issue quickly.
Follow the same steps outlined above to uninstall and reinstall the Instagram app on your device quickly. Furthermore, ensure you only download and install Instagram from App Store on your iOS device.
Try On A Different Device
To see if the issue is specific to the device you’re using, you may try logging into your TikTok account on a different device and tapping on the link.
If TikTok can open the Instagram app directly without any hassle, something should be wrong with your device.
Factory resetting your device would be another thing to try if it is a problem specific to your device. Also, ask your friends if they’re experiencing the same problem.
Report Problem To TikTok
Our final resort is to report the issue to TikTok so that they can fix it for us.
There are multiple ways for us to report a problem to the TikTok support team. We will use the report an issue option on TikTok to let them know about the issue.
- Open the TikTok app on your smartphone and tap on your profile.
- Tap the three dots icon from the top left corner of the screen and tap on Report a problem button.
- Select a problem category and tap on the Still Have Problem option.
- On the field provided, briefly explain the issue and hit the submit button.
It might take some time for the TikTok team to get back to you.
Wait For TikTok To Fix The Issue
Even after reporting the issue to the TikTok team, if you are out of luck, then the only option you have left is to wait for TikTok to address and fix the bug or issue.
TikTok is a trendy social media platform with a vast user base. They regularly release new updates with new features and bug fixes. So it’s for sure that TikTok will fix the issue sooner than later.
Meanwhile, make sure to try all the troubleshooting steps above to see if you can fix the issue yourself.
Conclusion
Using the Open in App option, updating TikTok and Instagram, reporting the problem to the TikTok support team, etc., are a few things you can do when TikTok fails to open the Instagram app directly.
As of now, the reason why this happens is unknown. We can expect TikTok to release a new update which should solve the issue.
