diff --git a/native/avatars/avatar-hooks.js b/native/avatars/avatar-hooks.js
--- a/native/avatars/avatar-hooks.js
+++ b/native/avatars/avatar-hooks.js
@@ -242,9 +242,13 @@
   );
 }
 
+const threadAvatarLoadingStatusSelector = createLoadingStatusSelector(
+  changeThreadSettingsActionTypes,
+  `${changeThreadSettingsActionTypes.started}:avatar`,
+);
 function useSelectFromGalleryAndUpdateThreadAvatar(
   threadID: string,
-): () => Promise<void> {
+): [() => Promise<void>, boolean] {
   const dispatchActionPromise = useDispatchActionPromise();
   const changeThreadSettingsCall = useServerCall(changeThreadSettings);
 
@@ -252,33 +256,70 @@
   const processSelectedMedia = useProcessSelectedMedia();
   const uploadProcessedMedia = useUploadProcessedMedia();
 
+  const [processingOrUploadInProgress, setProcessingOrUploadInProgress] =
+    React.useState(false);
+
+  const updateThreadAvatarLoadingStatus: LoadingStatus = useSelector(
+    threadAvatarLoadingStatusSelector,
+  );
+
+  const inProgress = React.useMemo(
+    () =>
+      processingOrUploadInProgress ||
+      updateThreadAvatarLoadingStatus === 'loading',
+    [processingOrUploadInProgress, updateThreadAvatarLoadingStatus],
+  );
+
   const selectFromGalleryAndUpdateThreadAvatar = React.useCallback(async () => {
     const selection: ?MediaLibrarySelection = await selectFromGallery();
     if (!selection) {
-      console.log('MEDIA_SELECTION_FAILED');
+      Alert.alert(
+        'Media selection failed',
+        'Unable to select media from Media Library.',
+      );
       return;
     }
 
-    const processedMedia = await processSelectedMedia(selection);
-    if (!processedMedia.success) {
-      console.log('MEDIA_PROCESSING_FAILED');
-      // TODO (atul): Clean up any temporary files.
+    setProcessingOrUploadInProgress(true);
+    let processedMedia;
+    try {
+      processedMedia = await processSelectedMedia(selection);
+    } catch (e) {
+      Alert.alert(
+        'Media processing failed',
+        'Unable to process selected media.',
+      );
+      setProcessingOrUploadInProgress(false);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (!processedMedia || !processedMedia.success) {
+      Alert.alert(
+        'Media processing failed',
+        'Unable to process selected media.',
+      );
+      setProcessingOrUploadInProgress(false);
       return;
     }
 
     let uploadedMedia: ?UploadMultimediaResult;
     try {
       uploadedMedia = await uploadProcessedMedia(processedMedia);
-      // TODO (atul): Clean up any temporary files.
     } catch {
-      console.log('MEDIA_UPLOAD_FAILED');
-      // TODO (atul): Clean up any temporary files.
+      Alert.alert(
+        'Media upload failed',
+        'Unable to upload selected media. Please try again.',
+      );
+      setProcessingOrUploadInProgress(false);
       return;
     }
 
     if (!uploadedMedia) {
-      console.log('MEDIA_UPLOAD_FAILED');
-      // TODO (atul): Clean up any temporary files.
+      Alert.alert(
+        'Media upload failed',
+        'Unable to upload selected media. Please try again.',
+      );
+      setProcessingOrUploadInProgress(false);
       return;
     }
 
@@ -296,9 +337,16 @@
 
     dispatchActionPromise(
       changeThreadSettingsActionTypes,
-      changeThreadSettingsCall(updateThreadRequest),
+      (async () => {
+        try {
+          return await changeThreadSettingsCall(updateThreadRequest);
+        } catch {
+          Alert.alert('Avatar update failed', 'Unable to update avatar.');
+        }
+      })(),
       { customKeyName: `${changeThreadSettingsActionTypes.started}:avatar` },
     );
+    setProcessingOrUploadInProgress(false);
   }, [
     changeThreadSettingsCall,
     dispatchActionPromise,
@@ -308,7 +356,10 @@
     uploadProcessedMedia,
   ]);
 
-  return selectFromGalleryAndUpdateThreadAvatar;
+  return React.useMemo(
+    () => [selectFromGalleryAndUpdateThreadAvatar, inProgress],
+    [inProgress, selectFromGalleryAndUpdateThreadAvatar],
+  );
 }
 
 function useRemoveUserAvatar(): [() => Promise<void>, boolean] {
@@ -341,9 +392,14 @@
   );
 }
 
-function useRemoveThreadAvatar(threadID: string): () => Promise<void> {
+function useRemoveThreadAvatar(
+  threadID: string,
+): [() => Promise<void>, boolean] {
   const dispatchActionPromise = useDispatchActionPromise();
   const changeThreadSettingsCall = useServerCall(changeThreadSettings);
+  const updateThreadAvatarLoadingStatus: LoadingStatus = useSelector(
+    threadAvatarLoadingStatusSelector,
+  );
 
   const removeThreadAvatar = React.useCallback(async () => {
     const removeAvatarRequest: UpdateUserAvatarRemoveRequest = {
@@ -356,13 +412,24 @@
         avatar: removeAvatarRequest,
       },
     };
+
     dispatchActionPromise(
       changeThreadSettingsActionTypes,
-      changeThreadSettingsCall(updateThreadRequest),
+      (async () => {
+        try {
+          return await changeThreadSettingsCall(updateThreadRequest);
+        } catch {
+          Alert.alert('Avatar update failed', 'Unable to update avatar.');
+        }
+      })(),
+      { customKeyName: `${changeThreadSettingsActionTypes.started}:avatar` },
     );
   }, [changeThreadSettingsCall, dispatchActionPromise, threadID]);
 
-  return removeThreadAvatar;
+  return React.useMemo(
+    () => [removeThreadAvatar, updateThreadAvatarLoadingStatus === 'loading'],
+    [removeThreadAvatar, updateThreadAvatarLoadingStatus],
+  );
 }
 
 type ShowAvatarActionSheetOptions = {
diff --git a/native/avatars/edit-thread-avatar.react.js b/native/avatars/edit-thread-avatar.react.js
--- a/native/avatars/edit-thread-avatar.react.js
+++ b/native/avatars/edit-thread-avatar.react.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // @flow
 
 import * as React from 'react';
-import { TouchableOpacity } from 'react-native';
+import { ActivityIndicator, TouchableOpacity, View } from 'react-native';
 
 import type { RawThreadInfo, ThreadInfo } from 'lib/types/thread-types.js';
 
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 } from './avatar-hooks.js';
 import EditAvatarBadge from './edit-avatar-badge.react.js';
 import ThreadAvatar from './thread-avatar.react.js';
+import { useStyles } from '../themes/colors.js';
 
 type Props = {
   +threadInfo: RawThreadInfo | ThreadInfo,
@@ -19,12 +20,17 @@
   +disabled?: boolean,
 };
 function EditThreadAvatar(props: Props): React.Node {
+  const styles = useStyles(unboundStyles);
   const { threadInfo, onPressEmojiAvatarFlow, disabled } = props;
 
-  const selectFromGalleryAndUpdateThreadAvatar =
+  const [selectFromGalleryAndUpdateThreadAvatar, isGalleryAvatarUpdateLoading] =
     useSelectFromGalleryAndUpdateThreadAvatar(threadInfo.id);
 
-  const removeThreadAvatar = useRemoveThreadAvatar(threadInfo.id);
+  const [removeThreadAvatar, isRemoveAvatarUpdateLoading] =
+    useRemoveThreadAvatar(threadInfo.id);
+
+  const isAvatarUpdateInProgress =
+    isGalleryAvatarUpdateLoading || isRemoveAvatarUpdateLoading;
 
   const actionSheetConfig = React.useMemo(
     () => [
@@ -41,12 +47,34 @@
 
   const showAvatarActionSheet = useShowAvatarActionSheet(actionSheetConfig);
 
+  let spinner;
+  if (isAvatarUpdateInProgress) {
+    spinner = (
+      <View style={styles.spinnerContainer}>
+        <ActivityIndicator color="white" size="large" />
+      </View>
+    );
+  }
+
   return (
     <TouchableOpacity onPress={showAvatarActionSheet} disabled={disabled}>
       <ThreadAvatar threadInfo={threadInfo} size="profile" />
+      {spinner}
       {!disabled ? <EditAvatarBadge /> : null}
     </TouchableOpacity>
   );
 }
 
+const unboundStyles = {
+  spinnerContainer: {
+    position: 'absolute',
+    alignItems: 'center',
+    justifyContent: 'center',
+    top: 0,
+    bottom: 0,
+    left: 0,
+    right: 0,
+  },
+};
+
 export default EditThreadAvatar;