diff --git a/tns-core-modules/application/application.ios.ts b/tns-core-modules/application/application.ios.ts
index 60fd1fda8..b4c1efa20 100644
--- a/tns-core-modules/application/application.ios.ts
+++ b/tns-core-modules/application/application.ios.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import { ios } from "../utils/utils";
 const IOS_PLATFORM = "ios";
 
 const getVisibleViewController = ios.getVisibleViewController;
+const majorVersion = ios.MajorVersion;
 
 // NOTE: UIResponder with implementation of window - related to https://github.com/NativeScript/ios-runtime/issues/430
 // TODO: Refactor the UIResponder to use Typescript extends when this issue is resolved:
@@ -158,11 +159,19 @@ class IOSApplication implements IOSApplicationDefinition {
         }
 
         this._window = UIWindow.alloc().initWithFrame(UIScreen.mainScreen.bounds);
+
+        // TODO: add CompatibilityColor.backgroundColor;
+        let backgroundColor;
+        if (majorVersion <= 12) {
+            backgroundColor = UIColor.whiteColor;
+        } else {
+            backgroundColor = UIColor.systemBackgroundColor;
+        }
+
         // TODO: Expose Window module so that it can we styled from XML & CSS
-        this._window.backgroundColor = UIColor.whiteColor;
+        this._window.backgroundColor = backgroundColor;
 
         this.notifyAppStarted(notification);
-
     }
 
     public notifyAppStarted(notification?: NSNotification) {
diff --git a/tns-core-modules/ui/page/page.ios.ts b/tns-core-modules/ui/page/page.ios.ts
index fa9a8c59f..12d360ee8 100644
--- a/tns-core-modules/ui/page/page.ios.ts
+++ b/tns-core-modules/ui/page/page.ios.ts
@@ -282,7 +282,6 @@ class UIViewControllerImpl extends UIViewController {
     }
 }
 
-const whiteColor = new Color("white").ios;
 export class Page extends PageBase {
     nativeViewProtected: UIView;
     viewController: UIViewControllerImpl;
@@ -294,7 +293,17 @@ export class Page extends PageBase {
         super();
         const controller = UIViewControllerImpl.initWithOwner(new WeakRef(this));
         this.viewController = this._ios = controller;
-        controller.view.backgroundColor = whiteColor;
+
+        // Make transitions look good
+        let backgroundColor;
+        if (majorVersion <= 12) {
+            backgroundColor = UIColor.whiteColor;
+        } else {
+            backgroundColor = UIColor.systemBackgroundColor;
+        }
+
+        // TODO: add CompatibilityColor.backgroundColor;
+        controller.view.backgroundColor = backgroundColor;
     }
 
     createNativeView() {