A method for controlling a mute function in a telephone device, and the telephone device and a computer program product that implements the method. The method includes: while the mute function is active, voice recognition software in the telephone device processes sound detected by a microphone in the telephone device to recognize and identify one or more specific words as having been spoken by a specific person and not by another person, and in response, the telephone device activates an alarm in the telephone device to communicate that the mute function is active.