diff --git a/common/changes/@itwin/imodel-browser-react/leobelanger-disable-favorites_2025-11-18-21-33.json b/common/changes/@itwin/imodel-browser-react/leobelanger-disable-favorites_2025-11-18-21-33.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9988e65d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/changes/@itwin/imodel-browser-react/leobelanger-disable-favorites_2025-11-18-21-33.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "changes": [
+    {
+      "packageName": "@itwin/imodel-browser-react",
+      "comment": "use `hideFavoriteIcon` option to disable fetching favorite iModels",
+      "type": "minor"
+    }
+  ],
+  "packageName": "@itwin/imodel-browser-react"
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/modules/imodel-browser/src/containers/iModelGrid/IModelGrid.tsx b/packages/modules/imodel-browser/src/containers/iModelGrid/IModelGrid.tsx
index 86e20e78..63688e78 100644
--- a/packages/modules/imodel-browser/src/containers/iModelGrid/IModelGrid.tsx
+++ b/packages/modules/imodel-browser/src/containers/iModelGrid/IModelGrid.tsx
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ export const IModelGrid = (props: IModelGridProps) => {
       iTwinId={props.iTwinId}
       accessToken={props.accessToken}
       serverEnvironmentPrefix={props.apiOverrides?.serverEnvironmentPrefix}
+      disabled={props.tileOverrides?.hideFavoriteIcon}
     >
       <ITwinGridInternal {...props} />
     </IModelFavoritesProvider>
diff --git a/packages/modules/imodel-browser/src/containers/iModelGrid/useIModelFavorites.ts b/packages/modules/imodel-browser/src/containers/iModelGrid/useIModelFavorites.ts
index bde97048..68595f3a 100644
--- a/packages/modules/imodel-browser/src/containers/iModelGrid/useIModelFavorites.ts
+++ b/packages/modules/imodel-browser/src/containers/iModelGrid/useIModelFavorites.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import * as iModelApi from "../../utils/iModelApi";
  * @param iTwinId - The ID of the iTwin for which to fetch favorites.
  * @param accessToken - Access token that requires the `itwin-platform` scope. Provide a function that returns the token to prevent the token from expiring.
  * @param serverEnvironmentPrefix - Optional server environment prefix.
+ * @param disabled - Optional flag to disable fetching of the favorites in the hook.
  * @returns An object containing:
  * - {Set<string>} iModelFavorites - A set of iModel IDs that are marked as favorites.
  * - {function} addIModelToFavorites - A function to add an iModel to favorites.
@@ -21,7 +22,8 @@ import * as iModelApi from "../../utils/iModelApi";
 export const useIModelFavorites = (
   iTwinId: string | undefined,
   accessToken: AccessTokenProvider | undefined,
-  serverEnvironmentPrefix?: "dev" | "qa" | ""
+  serverEnvironmentPrefix?: "dev" | "qa" | "",
+  disabled?: boolean
 ): {
   iModelFavorites: Set<string>;
   addIModelToFavorites: (iModelId: string) => Promise<void>;
@@ -91,7 +93,7 @@ export const useIModelFavorites = (
      */
     const fetchIModelFavorites = async (abortSignal?: AbortSignal) => {
       try {
-        if (!iTwinId || !accessToken) {
+        if (disabled || !iTwinId || !accessToken) {
           setIModelFavorites(new Set());
           return;
         }
@@ -115,7 +117,7 @@ export const useIModelFavorites = (
     return () => {
       controller.abort();
     };
-  }, [iTwinId, accessToken, serverEnvironmentPrefix]);
+  }, [disabled, iTwinId, accessToken, serverEnvironmentPrefix]);
 
   return {
     iModelFavorites,
diff --git a/packages/modules/imodel-browser/src/contexts/IModelFavoritesContext.tsx b/packages/modules/imodel-browser/src/contexts/IModelFavoritesContext.tsx
index fb6aa6d7..227bc337 100644
--- a/packages/modules/imodel-browser/src/contexts/IModelFavoritesContext.tsx
+++ b/packages/modules/imodel-browser/src/contexts/IModelFavoritesContext.tsx
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ export interface IModelFavoritesProviderProps {
   accessToken?: AccessTokenProvider;
   serverEnvironmentPrefix?: string;
   children: React.ReactNode;
+  disabled?: boolean;
 }
 
 export const IModelFavoritesProvider = ({
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ export const IModelFavoritesProvider = ({
   accessToken,
   serverEnvironmentPrefix,
   children,
+  disabled,
 }: IModelFavoritesProviderProps) => {
   const { iModelFavorites, addIModelToFavorites, removeIModelFromFavorites } =
     useIModelFavorites(
@@ -36,7 +38,8 @@ export const IModelFavoritesProvider = ({
       accessToken,
       serverEnvironmentPrefix === "dev" || serverEnvironmentPrefix === "qa"
         ? serverEnvironmentPrefix
-        : undefined
+        : undefined,
+      disabled
     );
 
   const value = React.useMemo<IModelFavoritesContextValue>(