Face mask for facilitating conversations

A method, comprising:

• capturing, using a microphone located on an inside of a face mask, audio spoken by a user wearing the face mask;
• determining that the face mask is in a private mode for transmitting the captured audio in response to detecting that the face mask is communicatively connected to an external communication device over a short-range wireless communication network;
• enabling a speaker located on an outer surface of the face mask to output noise cancelling sounds in response to the face mask being in the private mode;
• transmitting the captured audio to the external communication device for output via the external communication device;
• switching the mode for the face mask to a public mode in response to the face mask being disconnected form the external communication device;
• and
• transmitting the captured audio to the speaker for output from the speaker.

A system, comprising:

• a face mask, comprising:
• a microphone located on an inside of the face mask;
• a speaker located on an outer surface of the face mask;
• a processor connected to the microphone and the speaker;
• and
• a memory that stores code executable by the processor to:
• capture, using the microphone, audio spoken by a user wearing the face mask;
• determine a mode that the face mask is in for transmitting the captured audio to a destination;
• and
• transmit the captured audio to the destination based on the determined mode;
• and
• an application executing on an electronic device, the electronic device communicatively coupled to the face mask, the application operable to control one or more settings of the face mask.