A device for receiving messages like a combination of an
alarm clock and an
answering machine has a message receiving unit (11), a recording and playback unit (17), a
clock (12), and controls an attention
signal. The device has a do-not-disturb mode, an alarm mode, and times can be selected for the do-not-disturb mode and / or the alarm mode. In the do-not-disturb mode, messages are recorded and the attention
signal is suppressed. The device has a response unit (20) for providing an override function for the remote sender for overriding a mode set by the user. Hence, the sender receives a response that the device is in the do-not-disturb mode, and has the option to generate the attention
signal in
spite of the do-not-disturb mode.