diff --git a/nirvana-ios/Views/PhoneVerification/PhoneVerificationView.swift b/nirvana-ios/Views/PhoneVerification/PhoneVerificationView.swift
index 7953d3f..312c637 100644
--- a/nirvana-ios/Views/PhoneVerification/PhoneVerificationView.swift
+++ b/nirvana-ios/Views/PhoneVerification/PhoneVerificationView.swift
@@ -6,26 +6,34 @@
 //
 
 import SwiftUI
-
+import NavigationStack
 
 // user can type in a phone number and then receive a text
 struct PhoneVerificationView: View {
     @State var phoneNumber = ""
-    
+    @EnvironmentObject private var navigationStack: NavigationStack
     
     var body: some View {
-        ZStack {
+        ZStack(alignment: .topLeading) {
+            Color.clear
+            
             OnboardingTemplateView(hdrText: "Let's get you verified", imgName: "undraw_my_password_d-6-kg", bottomActArea: AnyView(
                 VStack {
-                    TextField("enter phone number", text: $phoneNumber)
-                        .background(Color.white)
+                    HStack {
+                        TextField("enter phone number", text: $phoneNumber)
+                            .background(Color.white.opacity(0.5))
+                        
+                        TextField("enter phone number", text: $phoneNumber)
+                            .background(Color.white.opacity(0.5))
+                    }
+                    .padding(.vertical, 20)
                     
                     Button {
                         print("send verification")
                         
-                        
+                        self.navigationStack.pop() // goes back to welcome screen
                     } label: {
-                        Text("send verification")
+                        Text("Send Verification")
                             .bold()
                             .foregroundColor(NirvanaColor.white)
                             .frame(maxWidth: .infinity)
@@ -36,6 +44,17 @@ struct PhoneVerificationView: View {
                     }
                 }
             ))
+            
+            //back button to home
+            Button {
+                print("going back to last page")
+                
+            } label: {
+                Label("Back", systemImage: "chevron.left")
+                    .labelStyle(.iconOnly)
+                    .foregroundColor(NirvanaColor.teal)
+                    .padding()
+            }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/nirvana-ios/Views/Templates/OnboardingTemplateView.swift b/nirvana-ios/Views/Templates/OnboardingTemplateView.swift
index 6b1384a..bad4056 100644
--- a/nirvana-ios/Views/Templates/OnboardingTemplateView.swift
+++ b/nirvana-ios/Views/Templates/OnboardingTemplateView.swift
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ struct OnboardingTemplateView: View {
     
     var body: some View {        
         ZStack {
+            // TODO: CAREFUL...this needs to be on top if any view is using this subview...otherwise elements will be dimmed and placed beneath this background
             WavesGlassBackgroundView()
             
             VStack(spacing: 0) {
diff --git a/nirvana-ios/Views/WelcomeView/WelcomeView.swift b/nirvana-ios/Views/WelcomeView/WelcomeView.swift
index 300fd12..e26fde4 100644
--- a/nirvana-ios/Views/WelcomeView/WelcomeView.swift
+++ b/nirvana-ios/Views/WelcomeView/WelcomeView.swift
@@ -6,15 +6,19 @@
 //
 
 import SwiftUI
+import NavigationStack
 
 struct WelcomeView: View {
     @State var showLearnMore = false
+    @EnvironmentObject private var navigationStack: NavigationStack
     
     var body: some View {
         OnboardingTemplateView(imgName: "undraw_friendship_mni7", mainLeadingActText: "Your", mainHighlightedActText: "minimalist", mainTrailingActText: "social media.", subActText: "Tired of the rat race on insta, snap, tik-tok, \"meta\"?", bottomActArea: AnyView(
                     VStack(alignment: .center) {
                         Button {
                             print("going to the sign in page")
+                            
+                            self.navigationStack.push(PhoneVerificationView())
                         } label: {
                             Text("Start Your Detox")
                                 .bold()