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There are a lot of reasons you might not text a guy back, but what is he thinking when this happens? No two guys are the same, and there’s a wide variety of thoughts he might have after you stop lighting up his phone screen. If a guy is interested in you, chances are he’ll be inspired to try even harder to get your attention. However, some might move on or give up after too much silence. To help you predict how he’ll react, we’ve put together a thorough list of what guys think when you don't text back. If you’re ready to jump inside the male mind, keep scrolling!


Things You Should Know

  • He might not worry too much about not hearing from you—he might just think you are busy and will get back to him when you can.
  • If you have a newer connection, or this behavior is new, he might think you are playing hard to get, texting another guy, or even ghosting him.
  • He might also feel frustrated, worried, or confused by your lack of response.
4

He’s worried you’re ignoring him because you’re upset.

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  1. Whether it’s true or not, he’ll probably text you or make a gesture to show he’s still interested and available. The longer you hold out, the more anxious and ready to prove himself he’ll be. [5]
    • A lot of humor and emotion gets lost over text. If you’ve never met in person, he may think you misunderstood him (it’s easy to do until you actually meet).
    • Right now, he’s probably rereading his messages trying to figure out what he said to put you off.
    • If you’re not really upset with him and still want to see him, you may have an awkward time explaining why you weren’t answering his texts.
11

He’s decided that you’re not interested anymore.

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  1. He’ll probably take the hint and move on if you continue to leave him on read or barely respond. If you’ve only been on one date or haven’t even met in person yet, chances are he won’t take it too personally. [12]
    • When someone’s texting slows down dramatically, it’s a pretty universal sign for men and women that they’re losing interest or working their way to ghosting.
    • On the flip side, ghosting him might inspire him to try and endear himself to you even more. It all depends on the guy and your previous connection.
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      Tips

      • Not all guys react the same way when someone stops texting them. Use your judgment and knowledge of the person to decide whether this is a good strategy.
      • If he seems genuinely worried about your safety (like if you say you’ll text him when you get home and you never do), it might be a good idea to break your silence so he isn’t too worried.
      • If he’s a nice guy but you’re just not interested, consider sending a message like “Hey, it was really nice texting with you but I just don’t think we’re a match” rather than ghosting.


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      Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about relationship cues, check out our in-depth interview with Joshua Pompey .

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