diff --git a/src/components/left/main/LeftSideMenuItems.tsx b/src/components/left/main/LeftSideMenuItems.tsx
index b341ada52..9b945f520 100644
--- a/src/components/left/main/LeftSideMenuItems.tsx
+++ b/src/components/left/main/LeftSideMenuItems.tsx
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ const LeftSideMenuItems = ({
       ? INITIAL_PERFORMANCE_STATE_MIN
       : (newLevel === ANIMATION_LEVEL_MAX ? INITIAL_PERFORMANCE_STATE_MAX : INITIAL_PERFORMANCE_STATE_MED);
 
-    setSharedSettingOption({ animationLevel: newLevel as AnimationLevel });
+    setSharedSettingOption({ animationLevel: newLevel as AnimationLevel, wasAnimationLevelSetManually: true });
     updatePerformanceSettings(performanceSettings);
   });
 
diff --git a/src/config.ts b/src/config.ts
index 58b18491d..76433ddab 100644
--- a/src/config.ts
+++ b/src/config.ts
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ export const ANIMATION_LEVEL_CUSTOM = -1;
 export const ANIMATION_LEVEL_MIN = 0;
 export const ANIMATION_LEVEL_MED = 1;
 export const ANIMATION_LEVEL_MAX = 2;
-export const ANIMATION_LEVEL_DEFAULT = ANIMATION_LEVEL_MAX;
+export const ANIMATION_LEVEL_DEFAULT = ANIMATION_LEVEL_MED;
 
 export const DEFAULT_MESSAGE_TEXT_SIZE_PX = 16;
 export const IOS_DEFAULT_MESSAGE_TEXT_SIZE_PX = 17;
diff --git a/src/global/cache.ts b/src/global/cache.ts
index 24516d365..d63359e48 100644
--- a/src/global/cache.ts
+++ b/src/global/cache.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import type { ActionReturnType, GlobalState, SharedState } from './types';
 import { MAIN_THREAD_ID } from '../api/types';
 
 import {
-  ALL_FOLDER_ID,
+  ALL_FOLDER_ID, ANIMATION_LEVEL_DEFAULT,
   ARCHIVED_FOLDER_ID,
   DEBUG,
   DEFAULT_LIMITS,
@@ -349,6 +349,14 @@ function unsafeMigrateCache(cached: GlobalState, initialState: GlobalState) {
   if (!cached.messages.webPageById) {
     cached.messages.webPageById = initialState.messages.webPageById;
   }
+
+  const cachedSharedSettings = cached.sharedState.settings;
+  if (
+    cachedSharedSettings.animationLevel !== ANIMATION_LEVEL_DEFAULT
+    && !cachedSharedSettings.wasAnimationLevelSetManually
+  ) {
+    cachedSharedSettings.animationLevel = ANIMATION_LEVEL_DEFAULT;
+  }
 }
 
 function updateCache(force?: boolean) {
diff --git a/src/global/types/sharedState.ts b/src/global/types/sharedState.ts
index 33258ecb9..84662cf50 100644
--- a/src/global/types/sharedState.ts
+++ b/src/global/types/sharedState.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ export interface SharedSettings {
   performance: PerformanceType;
   messageTextSize: number;
   animationLevel: AnimationLevel;
+  // This can be deleted after September 2025, along with the corresponding migration
+  wasAnimationLevelSetManually?: boolean;
   messageSendKeyCombo: 'enter' | 'ctrl-enter';
   miniAppsCachedPosition?: Point;
   miniAppsCachedSize?: Size;