TL;DR Summary:
Desktop Button Gone: Google has removed the Search Profiles follow button from desktop search results, replacing it with a “Search profile” button instead.Mobile Still Works: The follow option is still available on mobile Knowledge panels, so the feature has not disappeared everywhere.No Official Explanation: Google has not explained whether this is a permanent change, a test, or a bug, so the setup may shift again without warning.Why did the follow button disappear from your Google search results? Google has removed the Search Profiles follow button from desktop search results, though the feature still works on mobile. This matters right now because it changes how you connect with a person’s or brand’s online presence directly from a search page, and Google has not explained the change.
What the Google Search Profiles Follow Button Removal Looks Like on Desktop
Damien Andell first flagged the change in a post on X on September 25, 2026. He wrote that Google removed the follow button on desktop search but kept it active on mobile Knowledge panels. A Knowledge panel is the information box that appears on the right side of a search result, showing facts about a person, brand, or topic. Barry Schwartz tested this himself using a search for Lily Ray. On desktop, her Knowledge panel now shows only a “Search profile” button, with no option to follow. This confirms the Google Search Profiles follow button removed from desktop applies broadly, not just to one account.
Mobile Still Has the Follow Option
The same test on mobile showed a different result. Lily Ray’s Knowledge panel on mobile still displays the follow button next to her Search profile. This means you can follow a Search profile on your phone right now, but not on your computer. The gap between the two platforms is the only detail confirmed so far. Google has not said whether this split is intentional or temporary.
No Official Word From Google on the Change
Google has not issued any statement about the Google Search Profiles follow button removed from desktop. There is no confirmation on whether this is a permanent update, a test running on a portion of users, or a bug affecting the desktop interface. Without an official response, you should treat the current setup as unstable. It could change again without notice, on either desktop or mobile. Because Google’s Knowledge panel and Search profile elements can shift without warning like this, it’s worth using a monitoring tool such as Branalyzer to track how your personal or brand profile actually appears across search results, rather than discovering changes secondhand through social media posts.
What This Means for Your Search Profile Habits
If you follow creators or brands through Search profiles, check which device you use before assuming the feature is gone. The Google Search Profiles follow button removed from desktop does not mean the follow feature disappeared entirely. It means you now need your phone to use it. If you manage a Search profile for your own brand, your desktop followers can no longer add themselves through search unless Google reverses this.
What to Watch Next
Keep an eye on your own Knowledge panel across both desktop and mobile to see if the button returns or if mobile loses it too. Google has given no timeline for any further change. Until Google makes a statement, check both platforms yourself rather than relying on assumptions about where the follow button works. While you wait for Google to clarify the follow button situation, tools like Branalyzer can help you keep tabs on how your brand and Search profile appear across the web, so shifts like this don’t catch your monitoring efforts off guard.
