diff --git a/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/CircleFooterView.swift b/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/CircleFooterView.swift
index 22c1b0a..81433c8 100644
--- a/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/CircleFooterView.swift
+++ b/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/CircleFooterView.swift
@@ -105,36 +105,40 @@ struct CircleFooterView: View {
             x:0,
             y:self.selectedFriendIndex == nil ? 150 : 0
         )
-        .onChange(of: self.selectedFriendIndex) {newValue in
-            // update meta data based on which friend was selected
-            let myId = self.authSessionStore.user?.id
-            
-            // reset the selected options to start fresh
-            self.selectedFriend = nil
-            self.myTurn = false
-            self.convoRelativeTime = ""
-                        
-            // set convo moment/relative time to show
-            if newValue != nil && myId != nil {
-                self.selectedFriend = self.authSessionStore.relevantUsersDict[newValue!]
-                
-                // get the latest message's timestamp...will be the first in list now
-                let lastMessage = self.authSessionStore.relevantMessagesByUserDict[self.selectedFriend!.id!]?.first
-                if lastMessage != nil {
-                    // figure out whose turn it is
-                    self.myTurn = lastMessage!.receiverId == myId! ? true : false
-                                        
-                    // ask for the full relative date
-                    let formatter = RelativeDateTimeFormatter()
-                    formatter.unitsStyle = .full
-
-                    let relativeDate = formatter.localizedString(for: lastMessage?.sentTimestamp ?? Date(), relativeTo: Date())
-
-                    print("Relative date is: \(relativeDate)")
+        .onChange(of: self.selectedFriendIndex) {_ in
+            self.updateLocals()
+        }
+    }
+    
+    func updateLocals() {
+        // update meta data based on which friend was selected
+        let myId = AuthSessionStore.getCurrentUserId()
+        
+        // reset the selected options to start fresh
+        self.selectedFriend = nil
+        self.myTurn = false
+        self.convoRelativeTime = ""
                     
-                    // setting the state for ui to update
-                    self.convoRelativeTime = self.myTurn! ? "received " + relativeDate: "sent " + relativeDate
-                }
+        // set convo moment/relative time to show
+        if myId != nil && self.selectedFriendIndex != nil {
+            self.selectedFriend = self.authSessionStore.relevantUsersDict[self.selectedFriendIndex!]
+            
+            // get the latest message's timestamp...will be the first in list now
+            let lastMessage = self.authSessionStore.relevantMessagesByUserDict[self.selectedFriend!.id!]?.first
+            if lastMessage != nil {
+                // figure out whose turn it is
+                self.myTurn = lastMessage!.receiverId == myId! ? true : false
+                                    
+                // ask for the full relative date
+                let formatter = RelativeDateTimeFormatter()
+                formatter.unitsStyle = .full
+
+                let relativeDate = formatter.localizedString(for: lastMessage?.sentTimestamp ?? Date(), relativeTo: Date())
+
+                print("Relative date is: \(relativeDate)")
+                
+                // setting the state for ui to update
+                self.convoRelativeTime = self.myTurn! ? "received " + relativeDate: "sent " + relativeDate
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/CircleGridView.swift b/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/CircleGridView.swift
index 4c3f74a..25d6fbe 100644
--- a/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/CircleGridView.swift
+++ b/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/CircleGridView.swift
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ struct CircleGridView: View {
         count: totalColumns)
     
     @Binding var selectedFriendIndex: String?
+    @State var lastPersonIdSentMessageTo: String?
     
     private let big:CGFloat = 1
     private let medium:CGFloat = 0.9
@@ -157,7 +158,8 @@ struct CircleGridView: View {
                                 
                                 if self.haveNewMessageFromFriend(friendDbId: friendId) {
                                     ProgressBarView(progress: self.selectedFriendIndex == friendId ? self.innerCircleVM.messagesListeningProgress : Float(1), color: Color.orange)
-                                } else if self.selectedFriendIndex == friendId {
+                                }
+                                else if friendId == self.lastPersonIdSentMessageTo {  // show that I sent a message to the last person I sent a message to
                                     ProgressBarView(progress: self.innerCircleVM.toast == InnerCircleViewModel.Toast.clipSent ? Float(1) : Float(0), color: NirvanaColor.dimTeal)
                                 }
                                 
@@ -252,7 +254,8 @@ struct CircleGridView: View {
                                         // stop recording
                                         print("stopping recording")
                                         
-//                                        self.selectedFriendIndex = nil
+                                        self.lastPersonIdSentMessageTo = self.selectedFriendIndex
+                                        self.selectedFriendIndex = nil
                                         
                                         self.innerCircleVM.stopRecording(sender: self.authSessionStore.user!, receiver: self.authSessionStore.relevantUsersDict[friendId]!)
                                         
@@ -360,7 +363,6 @@ struct CircleGridView: View {
                 } //lazygrid // TODO: add padding based on if we are on any cornering item to allow the bubble to enlargen
                 .padding(.trailing, Self.size / 2 + Self.spacingBetweenColumns / 2) // because of the offset of last column
                 .padding(.top, Self.size / 2 + Self.spacingBetweenRows / 2) // because we are going under the nav bar
-//                .id(UUID())
             }// scrollview
             .onAppear {
                 // scrolling to first person in grid
diff --git a/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/InnerCircleViewModel.swift b/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/InnerCircleViewModel.swift
index 51ece8a..a79964e 100644
--- a/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/InnerCircleViewModel.swift
+++ b/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/InnerCircleViewModel.swift
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ class InnerCircleViewModel: NSObject, ObservableObject {
             case .problemSendingClip:
                 return AlertToast(displayMode: .hud, type: .error(Color.orange), title: "problem sending clip", subTitle: "please try again")
             case .startedClip:
-                return AlertToast(displayMode: .hud, type: .systemImage("waveform.and.mic", Color.orange), subTitle: "you're on")
+                return AlertToast(displayMode: .hud, type: .systemImage("waveform.and.mic", Color.orange))
             default:
                 return AlertToast(displayMode: .hud, type: .error(Color.orange), title: "Something went wrong ‼️")
             }
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ class InnerCircleViewModel: NSObject, ObservableObject {
     
     var queuePlayer = AVQueuePlayer()
     var avplayer: AVPlayer?
+    
     private var cachedPlayerItemsDict: [String: URL] = [:] // firebase audio url to local url
     
     @Published var isRecording : Bool = false