diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift
index b2bebc8c4e..9dd7fb86d9 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ func apiDeleteUser(_ userId: Int64, _ delSMPQueues: Bool, viewPwd: String?) asyn
 }
 
 func apiStartChat(ctrl: chat_ctrl? = nil) throws -> Bool {
-    let r: ChatResponse0 = try chatSendCmdSync(.startChat(mainApp: true, enableSndFiles: true, largeLinkData: true), ctrl: ctrl)
+    let r: ChatResponse0 = try chatSendCmdSync(.startChat(mainApp: true, enableSndFiles: true, largeLinkData: false), ctrl: ctrl)
     switch r {
     case .chatStarted: return true
     case .chatRunning: return false
diff --git a/apps/multiplatform/common/src/commonMain/kotlin/chat/simplex/common/model/SimpleXAPI.kt b/apps/multiplatform/common/src/commonMain/kotlin/chat/simplex/common/model/SimpleXAPI.kt
index 0f6dc299ab..ee54803017 100644
--- a/apps/multiplatform/common/src/commonMain/kotlin/chat/simplex/common/model/SimpleXAPI.kt
+++ b/apps/multiplatform/common/src/commonMain/kotlin/chat/simplex/common/model/SimpleXAPI.kt
@@ -793,7 +793,7 @@ object ChatController {
   }
 
   suspend fun apiStartChat(ctrl: ChatCtrl? = null): Boolean {
-    val r = sendCmd(null, CC.StartChat(mainApp = true, largeLinkData = true), ctrl)
+    val r = sendCmd(null, CC.StartChat(mainApp = true, largeLinkData = false), ctrl)
     when (r.result) {
       is CR.ChatStarted -> return true
       is CR.ChatRunning -> return false