diff --git a/.upgradenotes/MDL-85146-2025081405080057.yml b/.upgradenotes/MDL-85146-2025081405080057.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5f763827aa9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.upgradenotes/MDL-85146-2025081405080057.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+issueNumber: MDL-85146
+notes:
+  theme_boost:
+    - message: >-
+        The `core:e/text_highlight` and `core:e/text_highlight_picker` icons are
+        deprecated and will be removed in Moodle 6.0.
+        The UX team recommended this change to reduce visual clutter and improve
+        readability. The icons were removed because they didn't indicate status
+        changes, were repetitive across all notifications, and took up space that
+        could be used for more content.
+      type: deprecated
diff --git a/public/lang/en/deprecated.txt b/public/lang/en/deprecated.txt
index 4704775b99c..ac8425875da 100644
--- a/public/lang/en/deprecated.txt
+++ b/public/lang/en/deprecated.txt
@@ -87,3 +87,4 @@ maxsectionaddmessage,core_courseformat
 activities_help,core
 resources_help,core
 unabletomessage,core_message
+notificationimage,core_message
diff --git a/public/lang/en/message.php b/public/lang/en/message.php
index a7eb8355732..9734a8ce3a0 100644
--- a/public/lang/en/message.php
+++ b/public/lang/en/message.php
@@ -137,7 +137,6 @@ $string['noparticipants'] = 'No participants';
 $string['notificationdatahasnotbeenmigrated'] = 'Your notifications are temporarily unavailable due to upgrades in the notification infrastructure. Please wait for them to be migrated.';
 $string['notificationwindow'] = 'Notification window';
 $string['notificationpreferences'] = 'Notification preferences';
-$string['notificationimage'] = 'Notification image';
 $string['notifications'] = 'Notifications';
 $string['notificationsmarkedasread'] = 'All notifications are marked as read.';
 $string['notincontactsheading'] = '{$a} is not in your contacts';
@@ -286,4 +285,5 @@ $string['yourcontactrequestpending'] = 'Your contact request is pending with {$a
 $string['togglenotificationmenu'] = 'Toggle notifications menu';
 
 // Deprecated since Moodle 5.1.
+$string['notificationimage'] = 'Notification image';
 $string['unabletomessage'] = 'You are unable to message this user';
diff --git a/public/lib/classes/output/icon_system_fontawesome.php b/public/lib/classes/output/icon_system_fontawesome.php
index 55fa62b61ea..5c5de6935f1 100644
--- a/public/lib/classes/output/icon_system_fontawesome.php
+++ b/public/lib/classes/output/icon_system_fontawesome.php
@@ -528,6 +528,8 @@ class icon_system_fontawesome extends icon_system_font {
                 'core:e/insert_col_before',
                 'core:e/split_cells',
                 'core:e/text_color',
+                'core:e/text_highlight',
+                'core:e/text_highlight_picker',
                 'core:t/locktime',
             ],
         );
diff --git a/public/message/output/popup/templates/notification_area_content_area_header.mustache b/public/message/output/popup/templates/notification_area_content_area_header.mustache
index db8e0f4856f..2db5fc0208f 100644
--- a/public/message/output/popup/templates/notification_area_content_area_header.mustache
+++ b/public/message/output/popup/templates/notification_area_content_area_header.mustache
@@ -36,6 +36,5 @@
     }
 
 }}
-<div class="image-container">{{#pix}} e/text_highlight, core, {{#str}} notificationimage, message {{/str}} {{/pix}}</div>
 <div class="subject-container">{{subject}}</div>
 <div class="timestamp">{{timecreatedpretty}}</div>
diff --git a/public/message/output/popup/templates/notification_content_item.mustache b/public/message/output/popup/templates/notification_content_item.mustache
index 9bd76bfc9bc..f3d334d72a7 100644
--- a/public/message/output/popup/templates/notification_content_item.mustache
+++ b/public/message/output/popup/templates/notification_content_item.mustache
@@ -64,9 +64,6 @@
         {{^read}}aria-label="{{#str}} unreadnotification, message, {{subject}} {{/str}}"{{/read}}>
 
         <div class="content-item-body">
-            <div class="notification-image">
-                {{#pix}} e/text_highlight, core, {{#str}} notificationimage, message {{/str}} {{/pix}}
-            </div>
             <div class="notification-message">{{shortenedsubject}}</div>
         </div>
         <div class="content-item-footer">