diff --git a/Rosetta/Features/Chats/ChatDetail/NativeMessageCell.swift b/Rosetta/Features/Chats/ChatDetail/NativeMessageCell.swift
index 36315b2..d8d9c91 100644
--- a/Rosetta/Features/Chats/ChatDetail/NativeMessageCell.swift
+++ b/Rosetta/Features/Chats/ChatDetail/NativeMessageCell.swift
@@ -138,6 +138,9 @@ final class NativeMessageCell: UICollectionViewCell {
     private let forwardAvatarView = UIView()
     private let forwardNameLabel = UILabel()
 
+    // Highlight overlay (scroll-to-message flash)
+    private let highlightOverlay = UIView()
+
     // Swipe-to-reply
     private let replyCircleView = UIView()
     private let replyIconView = UIImageView()
@@ -404,6 +407,13 @@ final class NativeMessageCell: UICollectionViewCell {
         forwardNameLabel.textColor = .white
         bubbleView.addSubview(forwardNameLabel)
 
+        // Highlight overlay — on top of all bubble content
+        highlightOverlay.backgroundColor = UIColor.white.withAlphaComponent(0.12)
+        highlightOverlay.isUserInteractionEnabled = false
+        highlightOverlay.alpha = 0
+        highlightOverlay.layer.cornerCurve = .continuous
+        bubbleView.addSubview(highlightOverlay)
+
         // Swipe reply icon — circle + Telegram-exact arrow (same vector as SwiftUI SwipeToReplyModifier)
         replyCircleView.backgroundColor = UIColor.white.withAlphaComponent(0.12)
         replyCircleView.layer.cornerRadius = 17 // 34pt / 2
@@ -749,6 +759,10 @@ final class NativeMessageCell: UICollectionViewCell {
             outgoing: layout.isOutgoing, mergeType: layout.mergeType
         )
 
+        // Highlight overlay — matches bubble bounds with inner corner radius
+        highlightOverlay.frame = bubbleView.bounds
+        highlightOverlay.layer.cornerRadius = 16
+
         // ── Vector shadow path (approximate shape, used only for shadow) ──
         bubbleLayer.frame = bubbleView.bounds
         let shapeRect = imageFrame
@@ -1074,9 +1088,8 @@ final class NativeMessageCell: UICollectionViewCell {
     // MARK: - Swipe to Reply
 
     @objc private func handleSwipe(_ gesture: UIPanGestureRecognizer) {
-        // Desktop parity: system accounts + ATTACHMENTS_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_REPLY = [AVATAR, MESSAGES]
         if isSavedMessages || isSystemAccount { return }
-        let isReplyBlocked = message?.attachments.contains(where: { $0.type == .avatar || $0.type == .messages }) ?? false
+        let isReplyBlocked = message?.attachments.contains(where: { $0.type == .avatar }) ?? false
         if isReplyBlocked { return }
 
         let translation = gesture.translation(in: contentView)
@@ -1304,6 +1317,21 @@ final class NativeMessageCell: UICollectionViewCell {
         }
     }
 
+    // MARK: - Highlight (scroll-to-message flash)
+
+    func showHighlight() {
+        highlightOverlay.alpha = 0
+        UIView.animate(withDuration: 0.2) {
+            self.highlightOverlay.alpha = 1
+        }
+    }
+
+    func hideHighlight() {
+        UIView.animate(withDuration: 0.4) {
+            self.highlightOverlay.alpha = 0
+        }
+    }
+
     @objc private func replyQuoteTapped() {
         guard let replyMessageId, let actions else { return }
         actions.onScrollToMessage(replyMessageId)
@@ -2052,6 +2080,7 @@ final class NativeMessageCell: UICollectionViewCell {
         resetPhotoTiles()
         replyContainer.isHidden = true
         replyMessageId = nil
+        highlightOverlay.alpha = 0
         fileContainer.isHidden = true
         callArrowView.isHidden = true
         callBackButton.isHidden = true
diff --git a/Rosetta/Features/Chats/ChatDetail/NativeMessageList.swift b/Rosetta/Features/Chats/ChatDetail/NativeMessageList.swift
index 43076cb..beeebfb 100644
--- a/Rosetta/Features/Chats/ChatDetail/NativeMessageList.swift
+++ b/Rosetta/Features/Chats/ChatDetail/NativeMessageList.swift
@@ -1028,6 +1028,20 @@ final class NativeMessageListController: UIViewController {
         collectionView.scrollToItem(at: indexPath, at: .centeredVertically, animated: animated)
     }
 
+    /// Telegram-style highlight flash on a message cell.
+    func animateHighlight(messageId: String?) {
+        // Hide any previously highlighted cell
+        for cell in collectionView.visibleCells {
+            (cell as? NativeMessageCell)?.hideHighlight()
+        }
+        guard let messageId,
+              let snapshot = dataSource?.snapshot(),
+              let itemIndex = snapshot.indexOfItem(messageId) else { return }
+        let indexPath = IndexPath(item: itemIndex, section: 0)
+        guard let cell = collectionView.cellForItem(at: indexPath) as? NativeMessageCell else { return }
+        cell.showHighlight()
+    }
+
     /// Reconfigure visible cells without rebuilding the snapshot.
     func reconfigureVisibleCells() {
         var snapshot = dataSource.snapshot()
@@ -1373,9 +1387,9 @@ struct NativeMessageListView: UIViewControllerRepresentable {
             controller.config.maxBubbleWidth = maxBubbleWidth
             configChanged = true
         }
-        if controller.config.highlightedMessageId != highlightedMessageId {
+        let highlightChanged = controller.config.highlightedMessageId != highlightedMessageId
+        if highlightChanged {
             controller.config.highlightedMessageId = highlightedMessageId
-            configChanged = true
         }
         if controller.config.firstUnreadMessageId != firstUnreadMessageId {
             controller.config.firstUnreadMessageId = firstUnreadMessageId
@@ -1435,6 +1449,11 @@ struct NativeMessageListView: UIViewControllerRepresentable {
             }
         }
 
+        // Highlight animation (Telegram-style flash on scroll-to-message)
+        if highlightChanged {
+            controller.animateHighlight(messageId: highlightedMessageId)
+        }
+
         // Empty state (iOS < 26 — UIKit-managed for keyboard animation parity)
         if let info = emptyChatInfo {
             controller.updateEmptyState(isEmpty: messages.isEmpty, info: info)