When one party to an active call has momentarily stepped away from the call that has not been put on hold, the other party can record and leave a message for the party that stepped away, and then hang up. The call is monitored for return of the party that stepped away. When the returned party begins to speak, the message is immediately played to the returned party in response. In a conference, after a conferee who wishes to leave the conference, records a message and hangs up, the conference is monitored for either a break in the conversation or conversation directed to the party that left, and in response the message is played to the other conferees.