On my iPhone five when I'm texting a grey background with stopwatch appears

[iMore Question]

My only way of removing it appears to be turning my phone on and off which is time consuming what is the correct method

 

[koltonh2002]

My only way of removing it appears to be turning my phone on and off which is time consuming what is the correct method

it is recording a voice message because you're hitting the microphone button...it's not shutting the phone off, the proximity sensor turns the screen of temporarily