Does He Like You If He Only Replies When You Ask a Question?

Plenty of people are slow or flat texters, and the ones who only answer what they're asked often act the same way with everyone, including friends and family. Before you read it as interest or disinterest, check how he is with other people. If his group chats are full of jokes and he starts threads with his mates, the issue is probably you two rather than texting in general. If he's quiet across the board, you're looking at a style, not a verdict.

Also watch what happens when you meet. Someone who's flat over text can be chatty in person, and that gap is worth more than any text thread. Notice whether he asks you things, follows up on what you said last time, and makes plans that take some effort. Those are harder to fake than a fast reply, and they tell you more about where he stands.

A good message here does two things. First, it shares a small piece of your day or a thought, so he has material to respond to without you asking for anything. Second, it leaves a loose end he can grab, like an unfinished story, an opinion he might disagree with, or a detail he could ask about. You're not trying to be clever. You're trying to lower the cost of a reply he'd otherwise have to build from scratch.

Keep the message short enough that he can answer in one line if he wants to, but give it a hook. A plain question is the easiest thing to ignore, because it asks for an answer and nothing more. A story with a tiny open end gives him a choice about whether to add to it.

If you've been sending things that invite a reply and he's still added nothing for several days, that's enough information to stop chasing for a bit. Pausing for a few days isn't a game. It lets you see whether he starts threads on his own once the pressure is off, which is the thing you actually want to know. If he reaches out first, even with something small, that's a real change in the pattern.

If he never initiates and never adds anything during that stretch, the answer is clearer than any amount of reading between the lines. At that point the useful move is to see him in person or stop investing in the thread. Don't send a long message explaining how you feel about his texting. Make a plan with him, or let the thread go quiet.