Abstract: A telephone with a ringer silencer call screening feature includes a ringer for indicating the receipt of an incoming call. A ringer control unit deactivates the ringer while the telephone is in a continuous on-hook state and reactivates the ringer upon termination of the incoming call. A call control unit for transmitting and receiving call signaling messages is connected to the ringer control unit for communication with the ringer control unit. Multiple keypads provide an interface between a user of the telephone and both the call control unit and the ringer control unit. A display connected to the ringer control unit and the call control unit displays caller identification information and a call status detector communicates with the ringer control unit upon termination of the incoming call. One method for screening calls includes utilizing one of the keypads to cause the ringer control unit to locally deactivate the ringer.