diff --git a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/model/SimpleXAPI.kt b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/model/SimpleXAPI.kt
index 6293fc7726..a7bd23b6ac 100644
--- a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/model/SimpleXAPI.kt
+++ b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/model/SimpleXAPI.kt
@@ -2101,10 +2101,10 @@ data class FeatureEnabled(
     get() = if (forUser) SimplexGreen else if (forContact) WarningYellow else HighOrLowlight
 
   companion object {
-    fun enabled(user: ChatPreference, contact: ChatPreference): FeatureEnabled =
+    fun enabled(asymmetric: Boolean, user: ChatPreference, contact: ChatPreference): FeatureEnabled =
       when {
-        user.allow == FeatureAllowed.ALWAYS && contact.allow == FeatureAllowed.NO -> FeatureEnabled(forUser = false, forContact = true)
-        user.allow == FeatureAllowed.NO && contact.allow == FeatureAllowed.ALWAYS -> FeatureEnabled(forUser = true, forContact = false)
+        user.allow == FeatureAllowed.ALWAYS && contact.allow == FeatureAllowed.NO -> FeatureEnabled(forUser = false, forContact = asymmetric)
+        user.allow == FeatureAllowed.NO && contact.allow == FeatureAllowed.ALWAYS -> FeatureEnabled(forUser = asymmetric, forContact = false)
         contact.allow == FeatureAllowed.NO -> FeatureEnabled(forUser = false, forContact = false)
         user.allow == FeatureAllowed.NO -> FeatureEnabled(forUser = false, forContact = false)
         else -> FeatureEnabled(forUser = true, forContact = true)
@@ -2138,6 +2138,11 @@ enum class ChatFeature: Feature {
   @SerialName("fullDelete") FullDelete,
   @SerialName("voice") Voice;
 
+  val asymmetric: Boolean get() = when (this) {
+    TimedMessages -> false
+    else -> true
+  }
+
   override val text: String
     get() = when(this) {
       TimedMessages -> generalGetString(R.string.timed_messages)
diff --git a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/views/chat/ContactPreferences.kt b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/views/chat/ContactPreferences.kt
index 299ae6e493..3e628a71b5 100644
--- a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/views/chat/ContactPreferences.kt
+++ b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/views/chat/ContactPreferences.kt
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ private fun FeatureSection(
   onSelected: (ContactFeatureAllowed) -> Unit
 ) {
   val enabled = FeatureEnabled.enabled(
+    feature.asymmetric,
     user = ChatPreference(allow = allowFeature.value.allowed),
     contact = pref.contactPreference
   )
diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ContactPreferencesView.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ContactPreferencesView.swift
index 63aa4b50c3..0cde3399c4 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ContactPreferencesView.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ContactPreferencesView.swift
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ struct ContactPreferencesView: View {
 
     private func featureSection(_ feature: ChatFeature, _ userDefault: FeatureAllowed, _ pref: ContactUserPreference, _ allowFeature: Binding<ContactFeatureAllowed>) -> some View {
         let enabled = FeatureEnabled.enabled(
+            asymmetric: feature.asymmetric,
             user: Preference(allow: allowFeature.wrappedValue.allowed),
             contact: pref.contactPreference
         )
diff --git a/apps/ios/SimpleXChat/ChatTypes.swift b/apps/ios/SimpleXChat/ChatTypes.swift
index 4c53bf7359..26439c8e8c 100644
--- a/apps/ios/SimpleXChat/ChatTypes.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/SimpleXChat/ChatTypes.swift
@@ -231,10 +231,10 @@ public struct FeatureEnabled: Decodable {
         self.forContact = forContact
     }
 
-    public static func enabled(user: Preference, contact: Preference) -> FeatureEnabled {
+    public static func enabled(asymmetric: Bool, user: Preference, contact: Preference) -> FeatureEnabled {
         switch (user.allow, contact.allow) {
-        case (.always, .no): return FeatureEnabled(forUser: false, forContact: true)
-        case (.no, .always): return FeatureEnabled(forUser: true, forContact: false)
+        case (.always, .no): return FeatureEnabled(forUser: false, forContact: asymmetric)
+        case (.no, .always): return FeatureEnabled(forUser: asymmetric, forContact: false)
         case (_, .no): return FeatureEnabled(forUser: false, forContact: false)
         case (.no, _): return FeatureEnabled(forUser: false, forContact: false)
         default: return FeatureEnabled(forUser: true, forContact: true)
@@ -278,6 +278,13 @@ public enum ChatFeature: String, Decodable, Feature {
 
     public var id: Self { self }
 
+    public var asymmetric: Bool {
+        switch self {
+        case .timedMessages: return false
+        default: return true
+        }
+    }
+
     public var text: String {
         switch self {
         case .timedMessages: return NSLocalizedString("Disappearing messages", comment: "chat feature")
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Messages.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Messages.hs
index 6d637c71bc..438ac9748d 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Messages.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Messages.hs
@@ -305,11 +305,10 @@ ciTimedToTTL timed_ = timed_ >>= \CITimed {ttl} -> Just ttl
 
 contactCITimedTTL :: Contact -> Maybe Int
 contactCITimedTTL Contact {mergedPreferences = ContactUserPreferences {timedMessages = ContactUserPreference {enabled, userPreference}}}
-  | forUser enabled && forContact enabled = case userPreference of
-    CUPContact TimedMessagesPreference {ttl = Just t} -> Just t
-    CUPUser TimedMessagesPreference {ttl = Just t} -> Just t
-    _ -> Nothing
+  | forUser enabled && forContact enabled = ttl
   | otherwise = Nothing
+  where
+    TimedMessagesPreference {ttl} = preference (userPreference :: ContactUserPref TimedMessagesPreference)
 
 groupCITimedTTL :: GroupInfo -> Maybe Int
 groupCITimedTTL GroupInfo {fullGroupPreferences = FullGroupPreferences {timedMessages = TimedMessagesGroupPreference {enable, ttl}}}
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Types.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Types.hs
index bb9e1aa149..d5f3207e73 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Types.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Types.hs
@@ -787,10 +787,10 @@ instance ToJSON PrefEnabled where
   toJSON = J.genericToJSON J.defaultOptions
   toEncoding = J.genericToEncoding J.defaultOptions
 
-prefEnabled :: FeatureI f => FeaturePreference f -> FeaturePreference f -> PrefEnabled
-prefEnabled user contact = case (getField @"allow" user, getField @"allow" contact) of
-  (FAAlways, FANo) -> PrefEnabled {forUser = False, forContact = True}
-  (FANo, FAAlways) -> PrefEnabled {forUser = True, forContact = False}
+prefEnabled :: FeatureI f => Bool -> FeaturePreference f -> FeaturePreference f -> PrefEnabled
+prefEnabled asymmetric user contact = case (getField @"allow" user, getField @"allow" contact) of
+  (FAAlways, FANo) -> PrefEnabled {forUser = False, forContact = asymmetric}
+  (FANo, FAAlways) -> PrefEnabled {forUser = asymmetric, forContact = False}
   (_, FANo) -> PrefEnabled False False
   (FANo, _) -> PrefEnabled False False
   _ -> PrefEnabled True True
@@ -819,12 +819,14 @@ contactUserPreferences user userPreferences contactPreferences connectedIncognit
     pref :: FeatureI f => SChatFeature f -> ContactUserPreference (FeaturePreference f)
     pref f =
       ContactUserPreference
-        { enabled = prefEnabled userPref ctPref,
+        { enabled = prefEnabled (asymmetric f) userPref ctPref,
           -- incognito contact cannot have default user preference used
           userPreference = if connectedIncognito then CUPContact ctUserPref else maybe (CUPUser userPref) CUPContact ctUserPref_,
           contactPreference = ctPref
         }
       where
+        asymmetric SCFTimedMessages = False
+        asymmetric _ = True
         ctUserPref = getPreference f userPreferences
         ctUserPref_ = chatPrefSel f userPreferences
         userPref = getPreference f ctUserPrefs