Method for gesture based human-machine interaction comprising - determining an environmental status of an electronic device; - operating the electronic device in one of at least two gesture modes depending on the environmental status, wherein, during a first gesture mode of the at least two gesture modes, detection of gestures of a first set of gestures is enabled; - detecting a movement of an object carrying out the gesture and located in the vicinity of the electronic device; and - when operating in the first gesture mode and if the detected movement corresponds to a gesture of the first set of gestures, carrying out a first command of the electronic device associated to the gesture corresponding to the detected movement; wherein - one of the first and the second gesture mode corresponds to a driving mode; - the environmental status comprises at least one connection status of the electronic device with a vehicle and/or with a component of the vehicle; - the environmental status further comprises information about one or more quantities measured by one or more further sensors (SF1, SF2) coupled to or comprised by the electronic device; - the electronic device is operated in the driving mode if at least one condition for the driving mode is fulfilled; - the at least one condition for the driving mode depends on the at least one connection status indicating that the electronic device is connected with the vehicle and/or with the component of the vehicle; - the at least one condition for the driving mode further depends on the information about the one or more measured quantities; and - the information about the one or more measured quantities comprises at least one of the following information on the electronic device: - speed information, in particular GPS speed information; - position information, in particular GPS position information; - acceleration information. - determining an environmental status of an electronic device; - operating the electronic device in one of at least two gesture modes depending on the environmental status, wherein, during a first gesture mode of the at least two gesture modes, detection of gestures of a first set of gestures is enabled; - detecting a movement of an object carrying out the gesture and located in the vicinity of the electronic device; and - when operating in the first gesture mode and if the detected movement corresponds to a gesture of the first set of gestures, carrying out a first command of the electronic device associated to the gesture corresponding to the detected movement; wherein - one of the first and the second gesture mode corresponds to a driving mode; - the environmental status comprises at least one connection status of the electronic device with a vehicle and/or with a component of the vehicle; - the environmental status further comprises information about one or more quantities measured by one or more further sensors (SF1, SF2) coupled to or comprised by the electronic device; - the electronic device is operated in the driving mode if at least one condition for the driving mode is fulfilled; - the at least one condition for the driving mode depends on the at least one connection status indicating that the electronic device is connected with the vehicle and/or with the component of the vehicle; - the at least one condition for the driving mode further depends on the information about the one or more measured quantities; and - the information about the one or more measured quantities comprises at least one of the following information on the electronic device: - speed information, in particular GPS speed information; - position information, in particular GPS position information; - acceleration information. - speed information, in particular GPS speed information; - position information, in particular GPS position information; - acceleration information.