You wake up after a long night of drinking with your friends. Birds are chirping loudly, the sunlight outside is so bright, and, uh oh—there’s a series of embarrassing texts you sent to your crush at 3 a.m. on your phone. Don’t panic. We’ve all been there before! If you drunk texted your crush last night, all hope is not lost. It’s totally possible to salvage the situation (and maybe even turn it into something positive). Keep reading to learn exactly how to recover from drunk texting your crush no matter how embarrassing or revealing your texts were.

1

Admit you were drunk texting.

  1. Being upfront with your crush is way better than hiding the truth. Your crush has already seen the texts, and they probably have a hunch that you were tipsy when you sent them. Instead of denying what happened, which could make things awkward with your crush, just own it. It happens to the best of us! If anything, your crush will appreciate your honesty. And who knows—maybe they’ll think it’s cute and sweet that drunk you was thinking of them.[1] Try texting them something like:
    • “Oh wow, looks like drunk me really wanted to talk to you last night 🙈”
    • “So sorry for blowing up your phone all night. I may have drank an entire bottle of wine at my friend’s party…💀”
    • “Okay, it’s official: I’m never drinking margaritas again after last night.”
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2

Laugh it off if your texts were mostly harmless.

  1. A few “heyyy” and “where r u???” texts are no big deal. If you didn’t pour your heart out to your crush or fire off a text demanding to know why they haven’t asked you out yet, using a little humor is a great way to move past last night. Laughing it off will show your crush just how funny, self-aware, and charming you can be, and there’s a huge chance they’ll think the whole situation is funny too.[2] Shoot them a text like:
    • “I should not be allowed to beer pong and text ever again 😂”
    • “Well, I guess I’m going to go throw my phone into a lake now since I can’t be trusted with it”
    • “I have to say, I’m proud that my texts were as coherent as they were last night. That’s talent 💁‍♂️”
3

Apologize if you crossed any lines.

  1. If your texts were a bit heavy or intense, an apology can help smooth things over. Maybe you sent your crush a long, epic text admitting your feelings for them (no shame—it happens). Or maybe you sent them some not-so-friendly messages because they weren’t responding to your texts or phone calls.[3] Whatever the situation, if your drunk texts may have upset your crush or put them in an awkward spot, apologizing is your best bet. You’ll show your crush that you’re mature and that you really care about their feelings, and you’ll have a better chance of moving forward with them. You could text them something like:
    • “I’m really sorry for texting you all of that last night. It wasn’t cool. I’m embarrassed.”
    • “I’m sorry about what I said last night. I had a lot to drink, but that’s not an excuse.”
    • “I’m sooo sorry for putting all of that on you last night. That wasn’t fair. Can you forgive me? 😔”
    • "I'm sorry, I did not mean to hurt your feelings."
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4

Consider admitting to your crush how you really feel.

  1. You might be able to turn last night’s texts into something more. Even if you didn’t reveal your feelings to your crush last night over text, it might be a good time to open up about how you really feel. Your crush might already have a sneaking suspicion you like them after receiving your drunk texts (it’s not a secret that people tend to text people they’re into when they’ve been drinking!), and if they are still talking to you today and don’t seem upset, that could be a sign that they’re into you too. You’ll never know unless you take a chance! Consider texting them something like:
    • “I should probably come clean about why I was blowing up your phone all night…I think you’re great. I would love to grab dinner sometime (I won’t be drinking at dinner, I promise).”
    • “So this isn’t really the way I had envisioned this going, but I really like you. Clearly drunk me does too.”
    • “If you’re willing to look past my super embarrassing texts last night, I’d seriously love to take you on a date sometime 🥰”
5

Ask if you can make it up to them in person.

  1. Offering to meet up is a great low-key way to hang out with your crush. This works whether you confessed your feelings to your crush or not. Offer to buy them a coffee, split a cinnamon roll at the cafe your crush loves (your treat), or take them to that movie they’ve been stoked to see. If you admitted your feelings to them and they feel the same, this could be your first date! Even if you haven’t told them how you feel, this is a great excuse to hang out with your crush, talk about any awkwardness from the night before in person, and maybe even get the ball rolling on a potential romance. You could say something like:
    • “Can I please buy you a coffee tomorrow? It’s the least I can do after texting you my entire life story last night.”
    • “Dinner on me later to make up for my whisky-induced texting frenzy? 😅”
    • “Maybe I can swing by later and drop off some takeout? I think that’s only fair after last night…”
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6

Lie if you’re really not ready to own up to the texts.

  1. If you’re desperate to take it all back, there are a few excuses that could work. Is lying to your crush the best way to handle the situation? No. Could lying possibly backfire and mess up your chances with them? Totally. But sometimes, you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do. If you’re just really not ready to admit to sending those drunk texts last night, try one of these white lies instead:
    • “OMG I’m so sorry about all of those random texts—I lost my phone for hours at the club last night and someone texted embarrassing things to a ton of my contacts 😭”
    • “Ughhh just now realizing that my drunk friends thought it would be funny to text random people in my phone, including you. So sorry about that.”
    • “Visiting my family for the weekend and my younger brother thought it would be hilarious to text weird things to my friends. 🙄 Sorry about those texts last night.”
7

Ditch your phone and distract yourself if you need to.

  1. Time away from your phone might be just what you need right now. If you’re feeling too embarrassed, anxious, and hungover to deal with all of this right now, put your phone in a drawer and go do something to keep your mind off of last night. Eat some delicious food, binge a show, take a bubble bath—anything that distracts you and helps you feel less anxious will work.[4] You don’t need to face the texts on your phone right away if you’re not ready. Take the time you need and reassess later when you feel refreshed. You’ve got this!
    • If you just can't stop re-reading your texts from last night, consider deleting them. It won't take back what you said, but you'll still feel a weight off your shoulders by getting them off of your phone.
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Expert Q&A

  • Question
    How can you apologize for a mistake?
    Patti Novak Williams
    Patti Novak Williams
    Professional Matchmaker & Dating Coach
    Patti Novak Williams is a Professional Matchmaker in Las Vegas, Nevada. With over 20 years of experience, Patti specializes in working with clients one on one to help them find love. She has helped match hundreds of couples, engagements, and marriages. Patti was the star of the critically acclaimed A&E series “Confessions of a Matchmaker.” She has been featured in the New York Times, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, and The Wall Street Journal, and has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, TODAY with Hoda and Kathy Lee, The Rachael Ray Show, CBS’ The Early Show, CNN, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, The Nate Berkus Show, and Fox’s The Morning Show With Mike & Juliet. Patti published a book in 2008 with Random House titled “Get Over Yourself!: How to Get Real, Get Serious, and Get Ready to Find True Love.”
    Patti Novak Williams
    Professional Matchmaker & Dating Coach
    Expert Answer
    If you make a mistake or offend someone, you can offer a genuine apology. You can say that you are sorry. And it was not your intention to insult or hurt.
  • Question
    What are the things you should avoid doing while flirting?
    Patti Novak Williams
    Patti Novak Williams
    Professional Matchmaker & Dating Coach
    Patti Novak Williams is a Professional Matchmaker in Las Vegas, Nevada. With over 20 years of experience, Patti specializes in working with clients one on one to help them find love. She has helped match hundreds of couples, engagements, and marriages. Patti was the star of the critically acclaimed A&E series “Confessions of a Matchmaker.” She has been featured in the New York Times, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, and The Wall Street Journal, and has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, TODAY with Hoda and Kathy Lee, The Rachael Ray Show, CBS’ The Early Show, CNN, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, The Nate Berkus Show, and Fox’s The Morning Show With Mike & Juliet. Patti published a book in 2008 with Random House titled “Get Over Yourself!: How to Get Real, Get Serious, and Get Ready to Find True Love.”
    Patti Novak Williams
    Professional Matchmaker & Dating Coach
    Expert Answer
    Do not talk about exes or sex while flirting. Follow the communication rules.
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About This Article

Patti Novak Williams
Co-authored by:
Professional Matchmaker & Dating Coach
This article was co-authored by Patti Novak Williams and by wikiHow staff writer, Kyle Hall. Patti Novak Williams is a Professional Matchmaker in Las Vegas, Nevada. With over 20 years of experience, Patti specializes in working with clients one on one to help them find love. She has helped match hundreds of couples, engagements, and marriages. Patti was the star of the critically acclaimed A&E series “Confessions of a Matchmaker.” She has been featured in the New York Times, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, and The Wall Street Journal, and has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, TODAY with Hoda and Kathy Lee, The Rachael Ray Show, CBS’ The Early Show, CNN, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, The Nate Berkus Show, and Fox’s The Morning Show With Mike & Juliet. Patti published a book in 2008 with Random House titled “Get Over Yourself!: How to Get Real, Get Serious, and Get Ready to Find True Love.” This article has been viewed 11,487 times.
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Co-authors: 3
Updated: March 14, 2022
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