You’re having a fun conversation or exchanging those first nerve-wracking texts and she says, “Text you later!” What does she mean? Should you actually wait for her to respond or should you follow up?

It can be totally frustrating and anxiety-inducing when she goes radio silent and doesn't text back, but with a little strategy, you can keep her interested while staying calm and confident. We’ll break down exactly what you need to do–and what she really means–when a girl says she’ll text you later.

1

Read “I’ll text you later” as “I’m busy.”

  1. Know that she’s probably just busy or distracted. That’s all. Don’t overthink it. Don’t start analyzing the last messages you sent. We’re all swamped these days with messages, notifications, and alerts, and it can be overwhelming. She might just need a tech break for a while.[1] Here are some common reasons she might not want to text right now:[2]
    • She might be busy with work, school, family, and friends.
    • She might be out of cell reception.
    • She might not want to spend her day glued to her phone.
    • She might feel pressure to come up with “perfect” replies.[3]
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3

Go do other things.

  1. Distract yourself and enjoy your life. Nothing feels worse than sitting around waiting for the girl you like to text back. But guess what? You’ve got plenty of other options for things to do! Once you realize that you’ve got an interesting, fun life, she’ll be able to sense that confidence and independence when you two talk.[5] Here are a few activities to get your mind off her:
    • Check out a new coffee shop or restaurant.
    • Text one of your friends.
    • Get in a short workout.
    • Go do something for other people. Help out a neighbor, family member, or charity.
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4

Send another message if you need scheduling info.

  1. If you’re setting up a date, you don’t need to wait 24 hours. Give her a couple hours of space if you can, but when you need a response fast for scheduling purposes, let her know. This approach works particularly well if you asked her about making plans and she responded “text you later.”[6]
    • Joke with her: “Don’t think too hard now!”[7]
    • Bring up the plans you were trying to make: “I get it, picking between the beach and grabbing coffee is a tough choice.”
    • Explain why you need a response: “Are we still on for Tuesday night? Let me know because I need to buy tickets.”
5

Follow up with a funny text to encourage her to reply.

6

Text a short, random question to restart the conversation.

8

Check in if you sent an emotional text or had a fight.

10

Shorten your texts to get a better response rate.

  1. Limit your text length to about 3 lines. She might find it difficult to respond to long texts or thinking you’re coming on too strong.[15] Similarly, avoid heavy subject matter in your messages. Some people may really enjoy deep conversations over text, but if you don’t know her well yet, hold off.
    • Be brief if she asks what you’re up to: “Just hanging out with friends. We’re grabbing pizza tonight! Hbu?”
    • Avoid overwhelming her by only sending 1 question per text: “How’s your weekend going?”[16] instead of “How’s your weekend going? Do you have fun plans?”
12

Pretend you’re just texting your friend.

  1. If you get stressed out waiting for her to respond, take a breath. Texting the girl you like can feel super intimidating and stressful. Instead of thinking “I’m texting my crush” just imagine you’re texting a friend. Your messages will probably come out more naturally, and you won’t worry as much about her response time.[18]
    • Share a funny GIF or meme.
    • Ask her for advice as a way to start a conversation: “Hey can I get your advice on something?”
    • Don’t interrogate her with questions. Add a few normal comments alongside your questions: “I was just thinking about the movie we watched in Psych class. Super weird, right?”
13

Move on if “text you later” becomes a pattern.

About This Article

John Keegan
Co-authored by:
Dating Coach
This article was co-authored by John Keegan and by wikiHow staff writer, Kira Jan. John Keegan is a dating coach and motivational speaker based in New York City. He runs The Awakened Lifestyle, where he uses his expertise in dating, attraction, and social dynamics to help people find love. He teaches and holds dating workshops internationally, from Los Angeles to London and from Rio de Janeiro to Prague. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Humans of New York, and Men's Health. This article has been viewed 38,277 times.
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Co-authors: 3
Updated: November 19, 2021
Views: 38,277
Categories: Texting
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