diff --git a/python/gui/auto_generated/qgshighlight.sip.in b/python/gui/auto_generated/qgshighlight.sip.in
index 6500ce660a5..ae02cad6f43 100644
--- a/python/gui/auto_generated/qgshighlight.sip.in
+++ b/python/gui/auto_generated/qgshighlight.sip.in
@@ -143,6 +143,13 @@ Returns the layer for which this highlight has been created.
     virtual void updatePosition();
 
 
+    void applyDefaultStyle();
+%Docstring
+Applies the default style from the user settings to the highlight.
+
+.. versionadded:: 3.30
+%End
+
   protected:
     virtual void paint( QPainter *p );
 
diff --git a/python/gui/auto_generated/qgsidentifymenu.sip.in b/python/gui/auto_generated/qgsidentifymenu.sip.in
index 73bcf051afa..941dcfd27de 100644
--- a/python/gui/auto_generated/qgsidentifymenu.sip.in
+++ b/python/gui/auto_generated/qgsidentifymenu.sip.in
@@ -161,11 +161,12 @@ exec
 :param pos: the position where the menu will be executed
 %End
 
-    static void styleHighlight( QgsHighlight *highlight );
+ static void styleHighlight( QgsHighlight *highlight ) /Deprecated/;
 %Docstring
 Applies style from the settings to the highlight
 
-.. versionadded:: 3.8
+.. deprecated::
+   Use :py:func:`QgsHighlight.applyDefaultStyle()` instead.
 %End
 
   protected:
diff --git a/src/app/qgsidentifyresultsdialog.cpp b/src/app/qgsidentifyresultsdialog.cpp
index dfc2f28ba88..7a28ce9575e 100644
--- a/src/app/qgsidentifyresultsdialog.cpp
+++ b/src/app/qgsidentifyresultsdialog.cpp
@@ -2151,7 +2151,7 @@ void QgsIdentifyResultsDialog::highlightFeature( QTreeWidgetItem *item )
     highlight->setWidth( 2 );
   }
 
-  QgsIdentifyMenu::styleHighlight( highlight );
+  highlight->applyDefaultStyle();
   highlight->show();
   mHighlights.insert( featItem, highlight );
 }
diff --git a/src/app/qgsmaptoolselectutils.cpp b/src/app/qgsmaptoolselectutils.cpp
index ff4a80f0ac0..9df33ec3872 100644
--- a/src/app/qgsmaptoolselectutils.cpp
+++ b/src/app/qgsmaptoolselectutils.cpp
@@ -799,7 +799,7 @@ void QgsMapToolSelectUtils::QgsMapToolSelectMenuActions::highlightAllFeatures()
       if ( !geom.isEmpty() )
       {
         QgsHighlight *hl = new QgsHighlight( mCanvas, geom, mVectorLayer );
-        styleHighlight( hl );
+        hl->applyDefaultStyle();
         mHighlight.append( hl );
         count++;
       }
@@ -821,26 +821,11 @@ void QgsMapToolSelectUtils::QgsMapToolSelectMenuActions::highlightOneFeature( Qg
   if ( !geom.isEmpty() )
   {
     QgsHighlight *hl = new QgsHighlight( mCanvas, geom, mVectorLayer );
-    styleHighlight( hl );
+    hl->applyDefaultStyle();
     mHighlight.append( hl );
   }
 }
 
-void QgsMapToolSelectUtils::QgsMapToolSelectMenuActions::styleHighlight( QgsHighlight *highlight )
-{
-  QgsSettings settings;
-  QColor color = QColor( settings.value( QStringLiteral( "Map/highlight/color" ), Qgis::DEFAULT_HIGHLIGHT_COLOR.name() ).toString() );
-  int alpha = settings.value( QStringLiteral( "Map/highlight/colorAlpha" ), Qgis::DEFAULT_HIGHLIGHT_COLOR.alpha() ).toInt();
-  double buffer = settings.value( QStringLiteral( "Map/highlight/buffer" ), Qgis::DEFAULT_HIGHLIGHT_BUFFER_MM ).toDouble();
-  double minWidth = settings.value( QStringLiteral( "Map/highlight/minWidth" ), Qgis::DEFAULT_HIGHLIGHT_MIN_WIDTH_MM ).toDouble();
-
-  highlight->setColor( color ); // sets also fill with default alpha
-  color.setAlpha( alpha );
-  highlight->setFillColor( color ); // sets fill with alpha
-  highlight->setBuffer( buffer );
-  highlight->setMinWidth( minWidth );
-}
-
 QgsFeatureIds QgsMapToolSelectUtils::QgsMapToolSelectMenuActions::filterIds( const QgsFeatureIds &ids,
     const QgsFeatureIds &existingSelection,
     Qgis::SelectBehavior behavior )
diff --git a/src/app/qgsmaptoolselectutils.h b/src/app/qgsmaptoolselectutils.h
index 696d3340749..3bc48a8aced 100644
--- a/src/app/qgsmaptoolselectutils.h
+++ b/src/app/qgsmaptoolselectutils.h
@@ -171,8 +171,6 @@ namespace QgsMapToolSelectUtils
 
       void startFeatureSearch();
 
-      void styleHighlight( QgsHighlight *highlight );
-
       QString textForChooseAll( qint64 featureCount = -1 ) const;
       QString textForChooseOneMenu() const;
       void populateChooseOneMenu( const QgsFeatureIds &ids );
diff --git a/src/gui/editorwidgets/qgsrelationreferencewidget.cpp b/src/gui/editorwidgets/qgsrelationreferencewidget.cpp
index 3933259535d..6571a449054 100644
--- a/src/gui/editorwidgets/qgsrelationreferencewidget.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/editorwidgets/qgsrelationreferencewidget.cpp
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@
 #include "qgsfeaturelistcombobox.h"
 #include "qgsexpressioncontextutils.h"
 #include "qgsfeaturefiltermodel.h"
-#include "qgsidentifymenu.h"
 #include "qgsvectorlayerutils.h"
 
 
@@ -584,7 +583,7 @@ void QgsRelationReferenceWidget::highlightFeature( QgsFeature f, CanvasExtent ca
   // highlight
   deleteHighlight();
   mHighlight = new QgsHighlight( mCanvas, f, mReferencedLayer );
-  QgsIdentifyMenu::styleHighlight( mHighlight );
+  mHighlight->applyDefaultStyle();
   mHighlight->show();
 
   QTimer *timer = new QTimer( this );
diff --git a/src/gui/qgshighlight.cpp b/src/gui/qgshighlight.cpp
index 5c508e0352f..b64747c39b7 100644
--- a/src/gui/qgshighlight.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/qgshighlight.cpp
@@ -306,6 +306,21 @@ void QgsHighlight::updatePosition()
   updateRect();
 }
 
+void QgsHighlight::applyDefaultStyle()
+{
+  const QgsSettings settings;
+  QColor color = QColor( settings.value( QStringLiteral( "Map/highlight/color" ), Qgis::DEFAULT_HIGHLIGHT_COLOR.name() ).toString() );
+  const int alpha = settings.value( QStringLiteral( "Map/highlight/colorAlpha" ), Qgis::DEFAULT_HIGHLIGHT_COLOR.alpha() ).toInt();
+  const double buffer = settings.value( QStringLiteral( "Map/highlight/buffer" ), Qgis::DEFAULT_HIGHLIGHT_BUFFER_MM ).toDouble();
+  const double minWidth = settings.value( QStringLiteral( "Map/highlight/minWidth" ), Qgis::DEFAULT_HIGHLIGHT_MIN_WIDTH_MM ).toDouble();
+
+  setColor( color ); // sets also fill with default alpha
+  color.setAlpha( alpha );
+  setFillColor( color ); // sets fill with alpha
+  setBuffer( buffer );
+  setMinWidth( minWidth );
+}
+
 void QgsHighlight::paint( QPainter *p )
 {
   if ( mFeature.hasGeometry() )
diff --git a/src/gui/qgshighlight.h b/src/gui/qgshighlight.h
index a14a5e7d9dc..ef5ad8f9842 100644
--- a/src/gui/qgshighlight.h
+++ b/src/gui/qgshighlight.h
@@ -172,6 +172,13 @@ class GUI_EXPORT QgsHighlight : public QgsMapCanvasItem
 
     void updatePosition() override;
 
+    /**
+     * Applies the default style from the user settings to the highlight.
+     *
+     * \since QGIS 3.30
+     */
+    void applyDefaultStyle();
+
   protected:
     void paint( QPainter *p ) override;
 
diff --git a/src/gui/qgsidentifymenu.cpp b/src/gui/qgsidentifymenu.cpp
index 30a0c71c3e8..cec083cb441 100644
--- a/src/gui/qgsidentifymenu.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/qgsidentifymenu.cpp
@@ -673,7 +673,7 @@ void QgsIdentifyMenu::handleMenuHover()
       continue;
 
     QgsHighlight *hl = new QgsHighlight( mCanvas, result.mFeature.geometry(), vl );
-    styleHighlight( hl );
+    hl->applyDefaultStyle();
     mRubberBands.append( hl );
     connect( vl, &QObject::destroyed, this, &QgsIdentifyMenu::layerDestroyed );
   }
@@ -681,17 +681,7 @@ void QgsIdentifyMenu::handleMenuHover()
 
 void QgsIdentifyMenu::styleHighlight( QgsHighlight *highlight )
 {
-  const QgsSettings settings;
-  QColor color = QColor( settings.value( QStringLiteral( "Map/highlight/color" ), Qgis::DEFAULT_HIGHLIGHT_COLOR.name() ).toString() );
-  const int alpha = settings.value( QStringLiteral( "Map/highlight/colorAlpha" ), Qgis::DEFAULT_HIGHLIGHT_COLOR.alpha() ).toInt();
-  const double buffer = settings.value( QStringLiteral( "Map/highlight/buffer" ), Qgis::DEFAULT_HIGHLIGHT_BUFFER_MM ).toDouble();
-  const double minWidth = settings.value( QStringLiteral( "Map/highlight/minWidth" ), Qgis::DEFAULT_HIGHLIGHT_MIN_WIDTH_MM ).toDouble();
-
-  highlight->setColor( color ); // sets also fill with default alpha
-  color.setAlpha( alpha );
-  highlight->setFillColor( color ); // sets fill with alpha
-  highlight->setBuffer( buffer );
-  highlight->setMinWidth( minWidth );
+  highlight->applyDefaultStyle();
 }
 
 void QgsIdentifyMenu::deleteRubberBands()
diff --git a/src/gui/qgsidentifymenu.h b/src/gui/qgsidentifymenu.h
index 0e7cc269535..9c187fbf3ec 100644
--- a/src/gui/qgsidentifymenu.h
+++ b/src/gui/qgsidentifymenu.h
@@ -177,9 +177,9 @@ class GUI_EXPORT QgsIdentifyMenu : public QMenu
     /**
      * Applies style from the settings to the highlight
      *
-     * \since QGIS 3.8
+     * \deprecated Use QgsHighlight::applyDefaultStyle() instead.
      */
-    static void styleHighlight( QgsHighlight *highlight );
+    Q_DECL_DEPRECATED static void styleHighlight( QgsHighlight *highlight ) SIP_DEPRECATED;
 
   protected:
     void closeEvent( QCloseEvent *e ) override;