12 Simple Ways to Get a Guy to Text You Back

PDF download Download Article
Funny, flirty, sassy, & direct texts to get him to respond
PDF download Download Article

Whether a guy left you on read or a normally-chatty guy has suddenly gone a little quiet, you may be wondering what you can send to get his attention. Luckily, there are plenty of options out there when it comes to getting a boy’s interest! However, if things are going well and it’s only been an hour or two, you may not want to send anything at all depending on the vibe you two have. We’ve got you, though—we’ll walk you through what you could send to capture his attention.

This article is based on an interview with our professional dating coach, John Keegan, founder of The Awakened Lifestyle. Check out the full interview here.

What to Do to Get a Guy to Text You Back

  1. Text him an interesting question.
  2. Send him a compliment.
  3. Text him a flirty comment.
  4. Send a sassy joke or sarcastic message.
  5. Tell him what you want to talk about.
1

Give him an hour or two to reply.

PDF download Download Article
  1. If he hasn’t replied to you and your last text was something substantial (i.e. you didn’t text “k” or something like that), he probably just put his phone down. He could have a phone call, or some kind of urgent task to deal with. Give him some time and he’ll get back to you. [1]
    • If the two of you have been hitting it off and texting back and forth, rest assured that he’ll reply whenever he checks his texts.
    • If your main goal is to play it cool and get him to like you, over-texting isn’t necessarily the best option. You can always pick your convo up tomorrow if he happens to be busy tonight.
    • If you did text something really short (like, “k” or “lol”), he may think the conversation is over. Feel free to send another text to signal that you want to keep talking.
    2. Advertisement
2

Ask an interesting question.

PDF download Download Article
  1. He may not be replying because he doesn’t know what to say. Give him something to dig into by throwing out a unique question. If some time has passed, it can be a random personal question about his interests. If the two of you were just talking about something, you can build a question off of that. [2]
    • If you were just talking about school, you might ask, “How did you get so good at math btw? I’ve been trying to get through this homework and it’s taking forever.”
    • If you were discussing a TV show, you could say, “Did you ever see the episode where they go to an alternate dimension?”
    • To get to know him better, you may ask, “What’s your biggest pet peeve?” or, “If you could live anywhere in the world for free, where would you live?”
    • If you want a funnier question, try something like, “Would you rather fight 1 horse-sized duck, or 100 duck-sized horses?” or, “If animals could talk, which animal would be the rudest?”
3

Give him a compliment or make him feel special.

PDF download Download Article
  1. Some guys don’t respond because they don’t think they’re making progress. If you want to signal that you like him, this is a great way to go. People are attracted to people who make them feel good, so say something that will put a smile on his face! [3] You might try:
    • “Just so you know, I really enjoy talking to you!”
    • “I really liked the outfit you wore to school today.”
    • “You’re the grilled cheese to my tomato soup, you know that?”
    2. Advertisement
4

Be bold with a flirtatious text.

PDF download Download Article
  1. Just go for it! If you like him and you think he might like you, he’ll 100% respond to a text that implies you’re into him. If you’re super nervous about his response, be a little silly and goofy about it. That way, you can always play it off like you’re just messing around. If he leans into it, you can keep flirting! If he doesn’t, you can back off a bit. [4] You might say:
    • “I thought I saw you at the park today, but it was just some good-looking brunette guy.”
    • “My dog wants you know that they miss you. You should come over tomorrow.”
    • “How are you still single? All my other good-looking guy friends are dating someone.”
5

Go for a sassy, playful option.

PDF download Download Article
  1. You might sarcastically joke about not getting a response or poke fun at him in a sweet way to probe him into replying. A little competitive spirit or sass can get a guy to pay attention real fast. Just make sure that it’s super clear that you’re joking around (emojis are your friend here), since it can be hard to interpret sarcasm over text. [5]
    • “Oh, so you’re just going to leave me on read, huh? I see how it is 😏”
    • “Hey, remember that time I beat you at pinball? I wanna do that again 😈”
    • “Look pal, if you’ve got time to like my Instagram posts, you definitely have time to text. 😉”
    2. Advertisement
6

Be forward with what you want to talk about.

PDF download Download Article
  1. A lot of guys are very bad at picking up on hints or subtle signs that people want to chat with them. He may not even know he’s supposed to text you back! Be upfront, positive, and friendly as you tell him that you’d like to chat about something. [6] You could say something like:
    • “I’m so bored right now. I’m just sitting here watching bad TV. What do you like to do when you’re bored?”
    • “I keep scrolling through random college websites dreaming of where I might apply next year. Do you know where you’re going to go?”
    • “I absolutely love a good, fresh apple. Apples are hands-down the best fruit, and nobody is going to convince me otherwise.”
7

Ask him for a recommendation.

PDF download Download Article
  1. If you don’t feel comfortable starting a convo without a good reason, solicit some help. This is an innocent way to start a conversation, and you can easily guide the convo towards his interests or hobbies. If you want to get to know him better, this is a great way to go! [7]
    • “My Spotify playlists are so repetitive. Got any good recommendations?”
    • “Hey, where did you get those Jordans you just bought? My brother is looking for a pair.”
    • “What’s the best movie you’ve seen on Netflix recently? I want to watch something but I can’t choose.”
    2. Advertisement
8

Raise his eyebrows with a confusing text.

PDF download Download Article
  1. Send something potentially interesting, but unrelated to your previous conversation. Then, text “Oops wrong person, sorry,” or something along those lines. This should get him to respond, even if it’s just something like, “Oh, no problem!” you can respond with something else and try to reinvigorate the convo. [8]
    • “Maybe it was just a ghost or something? I wouldn’t read into it too much.”
    • “Chicken fettuccine. What other options are there?”
    • “I can come tomorrow, but I’m too busy tonight.”
9

Send a meme, gif, or video for something to talk about.

PDF download Download Article
  1. Some guys are just awful at conversation when they like someone. But for the fellas who can’t find the right words, there’s always images! A funny meme is a good choice if the two of you share a similar sense of humor. A funny reaction gif could work if you want to let them know you’re excited, bored, or just want to talk. Viral videos are also a solid option if you want something to talk about! [9]
    • With videos, you might send it with a note like, “Have you seen this one yet?” or, “I just saw this. Totally hilarious.”
    • With a meme, you could send a friendly message with it, like, “This made me think of you!”
    2. Advertisement
10

Get his attention with a vague opener.

PDF download Download Article
  1. An intriguing statement like, “You won’t believe what just happened to me” is going to provoke him to reply. It’s hard for anyone to look at a provocative text like that and not ask, “What?!” If you’ve got something interesting to share, this is sure to get his attention.
    • “You won’t believe what happened today!”
    • “You’ll never guess who I just ran into.”
    • “I had the weirdest dream last night.”
    • “Guess what I got on yesterday’s chemistry test.”
11

Fire off a blank text to get him to pick the phone up.

PDF download Download Article
  1. This kind of trick probably only works once, but it might be a good way to get a guy to respond if they’ve gone MIA randomly and you think they may have forgotten to reply. Just hit the spacebar once and hit send. [10] When they reply with a “?” or, “Huh?” reply with:
    • “Ugh, I think I just sat on my phone funny.”
    • “Sorry, my phone’s been doing this lately. I think there’s something wrong with the touchpad.”
    • After they say “It’s okay!” or whatever, you can keep the conversation going with, “How are you?” or, “You ever have your phone just turn on you? This is so annoying.”
    2. Advertisement
12

Don’t send multiple texts.

PDF download Download Article
  1. If you keep texting when he’s unresponsive, it can feel like you’re desperate. Even if you’re just trying to keep the conversation going, it may not come off that way. It’s okay to send a text (or two) if you want to reinvigorate the conversation, but don’t keep it going beyond that. He’ll text you back eventually! [11]

Improve Your Texting Game with this Expert Series

Not sure how to text a guy to get his attention and keep him interested? We’ve put together this series of expert articles to help you text easily and confidently.
1
Text a Guy on a Dating App
2
How Often Should a Guy Text You in the Beginning?
3
Text a Guy After the First Date
4
How to Drop Hints to a Guy You Like & Get Him to Ask You Out
5
Get Attention from a Guy over Text
6
How to Ask a Guy to Hook Up over Text + Flirting Tips

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    How do I know if a guy likes me after he asks for my number but never calls and hardly texts?
    Sparkle_ 1
    Community Answer
    Most guys aren't very talkative by nature, and if the guy you like is an introvert, it could just be that he doesn't like chatting. The fact that he asked for your number is a good sign! Try to keep the conversation flowing, but don't send him too many messages. Two or three a week is good.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 8 Helpful 4
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      You Might Also Like

      Virtual Truth or Dare Questions to Keep Things Interesting
      "Message Blocking is Active:" What to Do if You Can't Send Texts
      10 Ways to Keep a Girl Interested over Text
      How to
      Make a Guy Horny over Text
      The Best Messages to Send that’ll Make Him Smile
      How to
      Prank Someone over Text
      How to
      Talk to a Girl by Texting
      12 Ways to Make Him Miss You Like Crazy over Text (with Examples)
      55+ Cute, Flirty, & Romantic “Can't Wait to See You” Messages
      How to
      Make a Girl's Hormones Rise over Text
      11 Texts to Tell a Girl She's Beautiful
      13 Things to Do When a Girl Doesn't Reply to Your Texts
      105 Funny, Witty, & Random Things to Text Your Friends
      How to
      Reply to “What Are You Doing?” over Text: Creative Answers to Sound Fun & Flirty
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ John Keegan. Dating Coach. Expert Interview. 19 August 2021.
      2. ↑ Mark Rosenfeld. Dating & Relationship Coach. Expert Interview. 11 June 2021.
      3. ↑ John Keegan. Dating Coach. Expert Interview. 29 June 2021.
      4. ↑ John Keegan. Dating Coach. Expert Interview. 29 June 2021.
      5. ↑ Mark Rosenfeld. Dating & Relationship Coach. Expert Interview. 11 June 2021.
      6. ↑ Mark Rosenfeld. Dating & Relationship Coach. Expert Interview. 11 June 2021.
      7. ↑ https://www.seventeen.com/love/dating-advice/g3/flirty-text-message-ideas/?slide=15
      8. ↑ https://www.cbc.ca/life/culture/the-art-of-the-accidental-text-on-purpose-1.4762896
      9. ↑ https://www.seventeen.com/love/dating-advice/a27045247/flirting-memes/
      1. ↑ https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/love-sex/news/a40833/how-to-someone-you-like-text-back/
      2. ↑ John Keegan. Dating Coach. Expert Interview. 19 August 2021.

      About This Article

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 81,203 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement