diff --git a/src/components/viewmodels/roomlist/RoomListViewModel.tsx b/src/components/viewmodels/roomlist/RoomListViewModel.tsx
index b1b39e7f0c1..6c46ca6d383 100644
--- a/src/components/viewmodels/roomlist/RoomListViewModel.tsx
+++ b/src/components/viewmodels/roomlist/RoomListViewModel.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ Please see LICENSE files in the repository root for full details.
 import type { Room } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/matrix";
 import { type PrimaryFilter, type SecondaryFilters, useFilteredRooms } from "./useFilteredRooms";
 import { type SortOption, useSorter } from "./useSorter";
+import { useMessagePreviewToggle } from "./useMessagePreviewToggle";
 
 export interface RoomListViewState {
     /**
@@ -39,6 +40,16 @@ export interface RoomListViewState {
      * The currently active sort option.
      */
     activeSortOption: SortOption;
+
+    /**
+     * Whether message previews must be shown or not.
+     */
+    shouldShowMessagePreview: boolean;
+
+    /**
+     * A function to turn on/off message previews.
+     */
+    toggleMessagePreview: () => void;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -48,6 +59,7 @@ export interface RoomListViewState {
 export function useRoomListViewModel(): RoomListViewState {
     const { primaryFilters, rooms, activateSecondaryFilter, activeSecondaryFilter } = useFilteredRooms();
     const { activeSortOption, sort } = useSorter();
+    const { shouldShowMessagePreview, toggleMessagePreview } = useMessagePreviewToggle();
 
     return {
         rooms,
@@ -56,5 +68,7 @@ export function useRoomListViewModel(): RoomListViewState {
         activeSecondaryFilter,
         activeSortOption,
         sort,
+        shouldShowMessagePreview,
+        toggleMessagePreview,
     };
 }
diff --git a/src/components/viewmodels/roomlist/useMessagePreviewToggle.tsx b/src/components/viewmodels/roomlist/useMessagePreviewToggle.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..27ccd401066
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/viewmodels/roomlist/useMessagePreviewToggle.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2025 New Vector Ltd.
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only OR GPL-3.0-only OR LicenseRef-Element-Commercial
+ * Please see LICENSE files in the repository root for full details.
+ */
+import { useCallback, useState } from "react";
+
+import SettingsStore from "../../../settings/SettingsStore";
+import { SettingLevel } from "../../../settings/SettingLevel";
+
+interface MessagePreviewToggleState {
+    shouldShowMessagePreview: boolean;
+    toggleMessagePreview: () => void;
+}
+
+/**
+ * This hook:
+ * - Provides a state that tracks whether message previews are turned on or off.
+ * - Provides a function to toggle message previews.
+ */
+export function useMessagePreviewToggle(): MessagePreviewToggleState {
+    const [shouldShowMessagePreview, setShouldShowMessagePreview] = useState(() =>
+        SettingsStore.getValue("RoomList.showMessagePreview"),
+    );
+
+    const toggleMessagePreview = useCallback((): void => {
+        setShouldShowMessagePreview((current) => {
+            const toggled = !current;
+            SettingsStore.setValue("RoomList.showMessagePreview", null, SettingLevel.DEVICE, toggled);
+            return toggled;
+        });
+    }, []);
+
+    return { toggleMessagePreview, shouldShowMessagePreview };
+}
diff --git a/src/settings/Settings.tsx b/src/settings/Settings.tsx
index 3084263b2fe..d887c9bb49b 100644
--- a/src/settings/Settings.tsx
+++ b/src/settings/Settings.tsx
@@ -314,6 +314,7 @@ export interface Settings {
     "showImages": IBaseSetting<boolean>;
     "showAvatarsOnInvites": IBaseSetting<boolean>;
     "RoomList.preferredSorting": IBaseSetting<SortingAlgorithm>;
+    "RoomList.showMessagePreview": IBaseSetting<boolean>;
     "RightPanel.phasesGlobal": IBaseSetting<IRightPanelForRoomStored | null>;
     "RightPanel.phases": IBaseSetting<IRightPanelForRoomStored | null>;
     "enableEventIndexing": IBaseSetting<boolean>;
@@ -1126,6 +1127,10 @@ export const SETTINGS: Settings = {
         supportedLevels: [SettingLevel.DEVICE],
         default: SortingAlgorithm.Recency,
     },
+    "RoomList.showMessagePreview": {
+        supportedLevels: [SettingLevel.DEVICE],
+        default: false,
+    },
     "RightPanel.phasesGlobal": {
         supportedLevels: [SettingLevel.DEVICE],
         default: null,
diff --git a/test/unit-tests/components/viewmodels/roomlist/RoomListViewModel-test.tsx b/test/unit-tests/components/viewmodels/roomlist/RoomListViewModel-test.tsx
index 99f1483d4a1..43364e0d775 100644
--- a/test/unit-tests/components/viewmodels/roomlist/RoomListViewModel-test.tsx
+++ b/test/unit-tests/components/viewmodels/roomlist/RoomListViewModel-test.tsx
@@ -218,4 +218,26 @@ describe("RoomListViewModel", () => {
             expect(vm.current.activeSortOption).toEqual(SortOption.AToZ);
         });
     });
+
+    describe("message preview toggle", () => {
+        it("should return shouldShowMessagePreview based on setting", () => {
+            jest.spyOn(SettingsStore, "getValue").mockImplementation(() => true);
+            mockAndCreateRooms();
+            const { result: vm } = renderHook(() => useRoomListViewModel());
+            expect(vm.current.shouldShowMessagePreview).toEqual(true);
+        });
+
+        it("should change setting on toggle", () => {
+            jest.spyOn(SettingsStore, "getValue").mockImplementation(() => true);
+            const fn = jest.spyOn(SettingsStore, "setValue").mockImplementation(async () => {});
+            mockAndCreateRooms();
+            const { result: vm } = renderHook(() => useRoomListViewModel());
+            expect(vm.current.shouldShowMessagePreview).toEqual(true);
+            act(() => {
+                vm.current.toggleMessagePreview();
+            });
+            expect(vm.current.shouldShowMessagePreview).toEqual(false);
+            expect(fn).toHaveBeenCalled();
+        });
+    });
 });
diff --git a/test/unit-tests/components/views/rooms/RoomListPanel/RoomList-test.tsx b/test/unit-tests/components/views/rooms/RoomListPanel/RoomList-test.tsx
index 11764df7b76..5e2d451ff83 100644
--- a/test/unit-tests/components/views/rooms/RoomListPanel/RoomList-test.tsx
+++ b/test/unit-tests/components/views/rooms/RoomListPanel/RoomList-test.tsx
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ describe("<RoomList />", () => {
             activeSecondaryFilter: SecondaryFilters.AllActivity,
             sort: jest.fn(),
             activeSortOption: SortOption.Activity,
+            shouldShowMessagePreview: false,
+            toggleMessagePreview: jest.fn(),
         };
 
         // Needed to render a room list cell
diff --git a/test/unit-tests/components/views/rooms/RoomListPanel/RoomListPrimaryFilters-test.tsx b/test/unit-tests/components/views/rooms/RoomListPanel/RoomListPrimaryFilters-test.tsx
index a3e60f765d2..f4b97b84b6b 100644
--- a/test/unit-tests/components/views/rooms/RoomListPanel/RoomListPrimaryFilters-test.tsx
+++ b/test/unit-tests/components/views/rooms/RoomListPanel/RoomListPrimaryFilters-test.tsx
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ describe("<RoomListPrimaryFilters />", () => {
             activeSecondaryFilter: SecondaryFilters.AllActivity,
             sort: jest.fn(),
             activeSortOption: SortOption.Activity,
+            shouldShowMessagePreview: false,
+            toggleMessagePreview: jest.fn(),
         };
     });