Using a data sample of 4.48 × 10 8 ψð3686Þ events collected with the BESIII detector, we present a first observation of ψð3686Þ → ppϕ, and we measure its branching fraction to be ½6.06 AE 0.38ðstatÞAE 0.48ðsystÞ × 10 −6. In contrast to the earlier discovery of a threshold enhancement in the pp-mass spectrum of the channel J=ψ → γpp, denoted as XðppÞ, we do not find a similar enhancement in ψð3686Þ → ppϕ. An upper limit of 1.82 × 10 −7 at the 90% confidence level on the branching fraction of ψð3686Þ → XðppÞϕ → ppϕ is obtained.