A method, computer program product, and system for answering a wireless telephone is provided. In one embodiment, the wireless telephone receives an incoming call and then determines whether the user has placed the phone in automatic call answering mode. If it is determined that automatic call answering has been selected by a user, then the phone answers the incoming call by providing the calling party with an indication that the user will take the call momentarily, such as by sending a voice message indicating that the user is busy but will take the call momentarily and instructing the calling party to not hang up. The phone also places itself into mute mode until the user has taken the incoming call to prevent the calling party from overhearing conversations that may be taking place around the user until the user has determined that it is convenient to take the phone call. In other embodiments, the wireless telephone allows the user to carry on conversations without speaking through selection of appropriate prerecorded or generated phrases.