Gmail app text links stop working on iPad after switching apps

I've been having a problem with the gmail app since the 26.6 update I got a couple weeks ago. I subscribe to several news emails with links to articles. Until 26.6, I could tap on one and get redirected to the Safari browser, then either read or immediately go back to gmail and tap another link (etc.); I would then read the articles in the browser. Eventually, I make it back to gmail, and open another email.

Since this update, text links work when the email is first opened, but once the iPad switches to the browser, when I come back to gmail it's like the links are gone--tapping does nothing. If I switch to another email and back to the first, the links work until I switch apps again.

Observations:

*Seems to be the act of switching to another app that kills it and not tapping a link, as I can open an email, swipe the screen to any other app, then swipe back to gmail and the links are gone.

*I think only text links are affected. Links on images work after switching apps and returning.

I hope this description makes sense?

I've searched for this multiple times but find no online reports of the same problem. Do any other gmail users see this behavior or is it just me? (The Apple mail app works, but I'm pretty heavily using gmail labels, "priority inbox", etc., so want to stay with the gmail app.)

I'm using an M2 iPad Air and have the problem on both 26.6 and 26.6.1. Thanks!