diff --git a/lib/types/media-types.js b/lib/types/media-types.js
--- a/lib/types/media-types.js
+++ b/lib/types/media-types.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import t, { type TInterface, type TUnion } from 'tcomb';
 
+import type { ClientEncryptedImageAvatar } from './avatar-types';
 import type { Shape } from './core.js';
 import { type Platform } from './device-types.js';
 import { tShape, tString, tID } from '../utils/validation-utils.js';
@@ -21,10 +22,12 @@
 
 export type EncryptedMediaType = 'encrypted_photo' | 'encrypted_video';
 
-export type AvatarMediaInfo = {
-  +type: 'photo',
-  +uri: string,
-};
+export type AvatarMediaInfo =
+  | ClientEncryptedImageAvatar
+  | {
+      +type: 'photo',
+      +uri: string,
+    };
 
 export type ClientDBMediaInfo = {
   +id: string,
diff --git a/native/avatars/avatar.react.js b/native/avatars/avatar.react.js
--- a/native/avatars/avatar.react.js
+++ b/native/avatars/avatar.react.js
@@ -67,32 +67,32 @@
   }, [size]);
 
   const avatar = React.useMemo(() => {
-    if (avatarInfo.type === 'image') {
-      const avatarMediaInfo = {
-        type: 'photo',
-        uri: avatarInfo.uri,
-      };
-
+    if (avatarInfo.type !== 'image' && avatarInfo.type !== 'encrypted_image') {
       return (
-        <View style={[containerSizeStyle, styles.imageContainer]}>
-          <Multimedia mediaInfo={avatarMediaInfo} spinnerColor="white" />
+        <View style={emojiContainerStyle}>
+          <Text style={emojiSizeStyle}>{avatarInfo.emoji}</Text>
         </View>
       );
     }
 
+    let avatarMediaInfo;
+    if (avatarInfo.type === 'encrypted_image') {
+      avatarMediaInfo = avatarInfo;
+    } else if (avatarInfo.type === 'image') {
+      avatarMediaInfo = {
+        type: 'photo',
+        uri: avatarInfo.uri,
+      };
+    } else {
+      return null;
+    }
+
     return (
-      <View style={emojiContainerStyle}>
-        <Text style={emojiSizeStyle}>{avatarInfo.emoji}</Text>
+      <View style={[containerSizeStyle, styles.imageContainer]}>
+        <Multimedia mediaInfo={avatarMediaInfo} spinnerColor="white" />
       </View>
     );
-  }, [
-    avatarInfo.emoji,
-    avatarInfo.type,
-    avatarInfo.uri,
-    containerSizeStyle,
-    emojiContainerStyle,
-    emojiSizeStyle,
-  ]);
+  }, [avatarInfo, containerSizeStyle, emojiContainerStyle, emojiSizeStyle]);
 
   return avatar;
 }
diff --git a/native/media/multimedia.react.js b/native/media/multimedia.react.js
--- a/native/media/multimedia.react.js
+++ b/native/media/multimedia.react.js
@@ -203,6 +203,14 @@
         encryptionKey: mediaInfo.thumbnailEncryptionKey,
         thumbHash: mediaInfo.thumbnailThumbHash,
       };
+    } else if (mediaInfo.type === 'encrypted_image') {
+      const { blobURI, encryptionKey, thumbHash } = mediaInfo;
+      return {
+        kind: 'encrypted',
+        blobURI,
+        encryptionKey,
+        thumbHash,
+      };
     } else {
       invariant(false, 'Invalid mediaInfo type');
     }