diff --git a/src/stores/__tests__/settings-store-reader.test.ts b/src/stores/__tests__/settings-store-reader.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9ff990fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/stores/__tests__/settings-store-reader.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest';
+import AsyncStorage from '@react-native-async-storage/async-storage';
+import { useSettingsStore } from '../settings-store';
+
+// Defaults the reader pass changed. Kept apart from settings-store.test.ts so
+// the agents working on settings in parallel don't edit the same test file.
+
+describe('settings defaults (reader pass)', () => {
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    await AsyncStorage.clear();
+    useSettingsStore.getState().resetToDefaults();
+  });
+
+  it('keeps sender favicons off until the user turns them on', () => {
+    // The app fetches them from icons.duckduckgo.com itself, which tells a
+    // third party every sender domain and the device's IP. The webmail
+    // proxies them through its own server, so its default doesn't carry over.
+    expect(useSettingsStore.getState().senderFavicons).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/stores/settings-store.ts b/src/stores/settings-store.ts
index bb0ffb33..674a2fa3 100644
--- a/src/stores/settings-store.ts
+++ b/src/stores/settings-store.ts
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ const DEFAULT_PERSISTED: PersistedSettings = {
   externalContentPolicy: 'ask',
   trustedSenders: [],
   trustedSendersAddressBook: null,
-  senderFavicons: true,
+  senderFavicons: false,
   hideInlineImageAttachments: true,
 
   groupContactsByLetter: true,