diff --git a/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/CircleNavigationView.swift b/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/CircleNavigationView.swift
index a292ade..fd09151 100644
--- a/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/CircleNavigationView.swift
+++ b/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/CircleNavigationView.swift
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import SwiftUI
 import NavigationStack
 
 struct CircleNavigationView: View {
+    @EnvironmentObject var innerCircleVM: InnerCircleViewModel
     @EnvironmentObject var navigationStack: NavigationStack
     @EnvironmentObject var authSessionStore: AuthSessionStore
     
@@ -83,7 +84,7 @@ struct CircleNavigationView: View {
                     Image((self.authSessionStore.user?.avatar)!)
                         .resizable()
                         .scaledToFit()
-                        .background(NirvanaColor.teal.opacity(0.5))
+                        .background(self.innerCircleVM.isRecording ? Color.orange : NirvanaColor.teal.opacity(0.5))
                         .frame(width: 40, height: 40)
                         .clipShape(Circle())
                         .padding(5)
diff --git a/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/InnerCircleView.swift b/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/InnerCircleView.swift
index 05b25bd..e5fb0fe 100644
--- a/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/InnerCircleView.swift
+++ b/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/InnerCircleView.swift
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ struct InnerCircleView: View {
     var body: some View {
         ZStack {
             // background
-            WavesGlassBackgroundView()
+            WavesGlassBackgroundView(isRecording: self.innerCircleVM.isRecording)
             
             // content
             CircleGridView(selectedFriendIndex: self.$selectedFriendIndex)
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ struct InnerCircleView: View {
             // header
             VStack(alignment: .leading) {
                 
-                CircleNavigationView(sheetView: self.$sheetView)
+                CircleNavigationView(sheetView: self.$sheetView).environmentObject(innerCircleVM)
                 
                 Spacer()
             }
diff --git a/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/InnerCircleViewModel.swift b/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/InnerCircleViewModel.swift
index 6ec4c3c..1ae2314 100644
--- a/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/InnerCircleViewModel.swift
+++ b/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/InnerCircleViewModel.swift
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ class InnerCircleViewModel: ObservableObject {
                 }
                 
                 let newMessage = Message(sendId: senderId, receivId: receiverId, audioDUrl: audioDataUrl!.absoluteString)
-                print(newMessage)
+                
                 // create a new message in firestore with the url for receiving user to automatically get notified
                 self?.firestoreService.createMessage(message: newMessage) {[weak self] res in
                     print(res)
diff --git a/nirvana-ios/Views/Templates/WavesGlassBackgroundView.swift b/nirvana-ios/Views/Templates/WavesGlassBackgroundView.swift
index e506fc0..fc5badf 100644
--- a/nirvana-ios/Views/Templates/WavesGlassBackgroundView.swift
+++ b/nirvana-ios/Views/Templates/WavesGlassBackgroundView.swift
@@ -11,14 +11,18 @@ struct WavesGlassBackgroundView: View {
     let universalSize = UIScreen.main.bounds
     // y position of where waves should start
     let baseLineY = UIScreen.main.bounds.height * 0.95
+
+    var isRecording: Bool = false
     
     @State var animateWaves = false
     
     var body: some View {
+        let recordingColors = [NirvanaColor.solidBlue, NirvanaColor.dimTeal, Color.orange.opacity(0.8), NirvanaColor.teal.opacity(0.7), NirvanaColor.teal.opacity(0.7), NirvanaColor.solidTeal.opacity(0.7), NirvanaColor.solidBlue]
+        let normalColors = [NirvanaColor.solidBlue, NirvanaColor.dimTeal, Color.orange.opacity(0.4), NirvanaColor.teal.opacity(0.5), NirvanaColor.teal.opacity(0.3), NirvanaColor.solidTeal.opacity(0.3), NirvanaColor.solidBlue]
         ZStack {
             AngularGradient(
                 gradient: Gradient(
-                    colors: [NirvanaColor.solidBlue, NirvanaColor.dimTeal, Color.orange.opacity(0.4), NirvanaColor.teal.opacity(0.5), NirvanaColor.teal.opacity(0.3), NirvanaColor.solidTeal.opacity(0.3), NirvanaColor.solidBlue]),
+                    colors: self.isRecording ? recordingColors : normalColors),
                 center: .bottom,
                 angle: .degrees(120))