A mute setting is automatically set based on a speech detection result for acoustic signals received by a device. A device detects the speech based on a variety of cues from acoustic signals received using one or more microphones. If speech is detected within one or more frames, a mute setting may be automatically turned off. If speech is not detected, a mute setting may be automatically turned on. A mute setting may remain on as long as speech is not detected within the received acoustic signals. A varying delay may be implemented to help avoid false detections. The delay may be utilized during a mute-on state, and gradually removed during a transition from a mute-on state to a mute-off state.