Does he like you if he keeps texting despite your short answers

A guy continuing to text after short replies is a green light, but only if you can spot the difference between real persistence and noise. Real interest looks like this: he texts, you give a short answer, he doesn't just repeat the same opener. He asks something different. He adds detail. He shows he read what you said and wants to know more.

If he's texting every hour with the same vibe and getting nothing back, he might just be bored or seeking validation. The difference is whether he's responding to you or just performing the same routine. A guy who likes you will notice that "lol" isn't engaging him and will try a different angle. He'll ask about something you mentioned before. He'll make a joke. He'll share something personal to prompt a real conversation. If he's not doing that, the texting doesn't mean as much.

Give him one clear opening. This doesn't mean sending a long essay. Send something that shows you're thinking about him but keep it simple. A comment about something he said, a question back, anything that shows engagement. Now watch what happens next. Does he lean into that? Does he ask a follow-up? Does he offer detail when you ask him something? Or does he go back to the surface-level texting?

The reply to your reply tells you everything. If he lights up and adds to the conversation, he was waiting for that signal. If he doesn't change his pattern, he might just be comfortable with the low-effort dynamic. You're not trying to prove yourself here. You're reading whether he has the capacity to notice when something works and adjust his approach. That's the move that matters.

If you've given him a real opening and he still isn't changing his texting pattern, give it two more exchanges before you step back. Two. Not ten. In those two exchanges, you can tell if he's capable of meeting you halfway. If the texts are still surface level and he's not asking real questions or sharing anything that matters, he's probably not invested enough to build something.

Once you step back, don't chase it. If he texts again and it's still low effort, you can respond when you want to. Don't restart the conversation for him though. Guys who want to talk will notice the drop-off and adjust. If he doesn't, he was fine with the dynamic where he was doing most of the work to reach you. You don't need to keep validating that. Stop after two solid attempts to shift the energy. The silence that follows will tell you what you need to know.