diff --git a/app/src/main/java/app/closer/notifications/PartnerNotificationManager.kt b/app/src/main/java/app/closer/notifications/PartnerNotificationManager.kt
index 57aa7fed..cc97d9f5 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/app/closer/notifications/PartnerNotificationManager.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/app/closer/notifications/PartnerNotificationManager.kt
@@ -78,21 +78,10 @@ class PartnerNotificationManager @Inject constructor(
 
         val route = type.routeFor(payload, coupleId)
         val notificationId = collapseId(type, coupleId)
-        val avatar = payload.avatarUrl?.takeIf { it.isNotBlank() }?.let { loadAvatar(it) }
 
-        showNotification(notificationId, type, route, avatar)
+        showNotification(notificationId, type, route)
     }
 
-    /** Best-effort partner-avatar load for a richer notification; null on any failure. */
-    private suspend fun loadAvatar(url: String): android.graphics.Bitmap? = runCatching {
-        val loader = coil.ImageLoader(context)
-        val request = coil.request.ImageRequest.Builder(context)
-            .data(url)
-            .allowHardware(false)
-            .build()
-        (loader.execute(request).drawable as? android.graphics.drawable.BitmapDrawable)?.bitmap
-    }.getOrNull()
-
     /**
      * Maps a remote FCM message type to a [PartnerNotificationType] and shows it.
      *
@@ -125,8 +114,7 @@ class PartnerNotificationManager @Inject constructor(
     private fun showNotification(
         id: Int,
         type: PartnerNotificationType,
-        route: String,
-        largeIcon: android.graphics.Bitmap? = null
+        route: String
     ) {
         if (!NotificationManagerCompat.from(context).areNotificationsEnabled()) return
 
@@ -147,6 +135,8 @@ class PartnerNotificationManager @Inject constructor(
             PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT or PendingIntent.FLAG_IMMUTABLE
         )
 
+        // No large icon: notifications show only the monochrome Closer mark (the small icon). We
+        // deliberately do NOT surface the partner's photo here.
         val notification = NotificationCompat.Builder(context, type.channelId)
             .setSmallIcon(R.drawable.ic_notification_closer)
             .setContentTitle(type.title)
@@ -154,7 +144,6 @@ class PartnerNotificationManager @Inject constructor(
             .setAutoCancel(true)
             .setContentIntent(pendingIntent)
             .setCategory(NotificationCompat.CATEGORY_SOCIAL)
-            .apply { if (largeIcon != null) setLargeIcon(largeIcon) }
             .build()
 
         NotificationManagerCompat.from(context).notify(id, notification)
@@ -437,7 +426,10 @@ data class PartnerNotificationPayload(
     val challengeId: String? = null,
     /** Completed-date id, used to deep link a date-reflection push into the reflection screen. */
     val dateId: String? = null,
-    /** Sender's avatar URL, used as the notification large icon when present. */
+    /**
+     * Sender's avatar URL. Still carried by callers, but intentionally NOT rendered on notifications —
+     * we show only the Closer app mark, never the partner's photo. Kept for in-app surfaces / future use.
+     */
     val avatarUrl: String? = null
 )