diff --git a/src/components/Settings/StartupPreferencesSettings.tsx b/src/components/Settings/StartupPreferencesSettings.tsx
index 789615e3..53263076 100644
--- a/src/components/Settings/StartupPreferencesSettings.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Settings/StartupPreferencesSettings.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import React from 'react'
+import { FontAwesomeIcon } from '@fortawesome/react-fontawesome'
 import { faNetworkWired, faUserGroup, faUser } from '@fortawesome/free-solid-svg-icons'
 import { UserSettings } from '../../services/settingsService'
-import IconButton from '../IconButton'
 
 interface StartupPreferencesSettingsProps {
   settings: UserSettings
@@ -41,28 +41,34 @@ const StartupPreferencesSettings: React.FC<StartupPreferencesSettingsProps> = ({
 
       <div className="setting-group setting-inline">
         <label>Default Highlight Visibility</label>
-        <div className="setting-buttons">
-          <IconButton 
-            icon={faNetworkWired} 
-            onClick={() => onUpdate({ defaultHighlightVisibilityNostrverse: !(settings.defaultHighlightVisibilityNostrverse !== false) })} 
-            title="Nostrverse highlights" 
-            ariaLabel="Toggle nostrverse highlights by default" 
-            variant={(settings.defaultHighlightVisibilityNostrverse !== false) ? 'primary' : 'ghost'} 
-          />
-          <IconButton 
-            icon={faUserGroup} 
-            onClick={() => onUpdate({ defaultHighlightVisibilityFriends: !(settings.defaultHighlightVisibilityFriends !== false) })} 
-            title="Friends highlights" 
-            ariaLabel="Toggle friends highlights by default" 
-            variant={(settings.defaultHighlightVisibilityFriends !== false) ? 'primary' : 'ghost'} 
-          />
-          <IconButton 
-            icon={faUser} 
-            onClick={() => onUpdate({ defaultHighlightVisibilityMine: !(settings.defaultHighlightVisibilityMine !== false) })} 
-            title="My highlights" 
-            ariaLabel="Toggle my highlights by default" 
-            variant={(settings.defaultHighlightVisibilityMine !== false) ? 'primary' : 'ghost'} 
-          />
+        <div className="highlight-level-toggles">
+          <button
+            onClick={() => onUpdate({ defaultHighlightVisibilityNostrverse: !(settings.defaultHighlightVisibilityNostrverse !== false) })}
+            className={`level-toggle-btn ${(settings.defaultHighlightVisibilityNostrverse !== false) ? 'active' : ''}`}
+            title="Nostrverse highlights"
+            aria-label="Toggle nostrverse highlights by default"
+            style={{ color: (settings.defaultHighlightVisibilityNostrverse !== false) ? 'var(--highlight-color-nostrverse, #9333ea)' : undefined }}
+          >
+            <FontAwesomeIcon icon={faNetworkWired} />
+          </button>
+          <button
+            onClick={() => onUpdate({ defaultHighlightVisibilityFriends: !(settings.defaultHighlightVisibilityFriends !== false) })}
+            className={`level-toggle-btn ${(settings.defaultHighlightVisibilityFriends !== false) ? 'active' : ''}`}
+            title="Friends highlights"
+            aria-label="Toggle friends highlights by default"
+            style={{ color: (settings.defaultHighlightVisibilityFriends !== false) ? 'var(--highlight-color-friends, #f97316)' : undefined }}
+          >
+            <FontAwesomeIcon icon={faUserGroup} />
+          </button>
+          <button
+            onClick={() => onUpdate({ defaultHighlightVisibilityMine: !(settings.defaultHighlightVisibilityMine !== false) })}
+            className={`level-toggle-btn ${(settings.defaultHighlightVisibilityMine !== false) ? 'active' : ''}`}
+            title="My highlights"
+            aria-label="Toggle my highlights by default"
+            style={{ color: (settings.defaultHighlightVisibilityMine !== false) ? 'var(--highlight-color-mine, #eab308)' : undefined }}
+          >
+            <FontAwesomeIcon icon={faUser} />
+          </button>
         </div>
       </div>
     </div>