He went quiet after you answered his question about yourself

When he asked about you, he was fishing for something. Maybe compatibility. Maybe how you'd handle a real conversation. When you answered, he got data. Now he's deciding if that data moves you closer or further away.

This isn't about your answer being wrong. It's about him running it through whatever filter he's using right now. If he's already half-checked out, a good answer won't save it. If he's still interested, silence usually means he's thinking, not that he's gone. You can't tell which one it is yet. So you assume he's still there and you move like someone who doesn't need him to prove it.

Your instinct is probably to ask him something to keep the ball rolling. Don't do that. When he goes quiet, a new question just sits there waiting for him to show up. Instead, send something that stands on its own. A thought. An observation. Something that moves the conversation into new territory instead of waiting for him to acknowledge the old one.

This does two things. It shows you're not frozen waiting for his text, and it gives him permission to jump back in without admitting he disappeared. He doesn't have to explain the silence. He can just respond to the new thing. The goal is to make it easy for him to come back without making a big deal out of the fact that he was gone.

If he goes quiet after you answer something personal, give it 48 to 72 hours before you send anything else. That's long enough to know he saw it and chose not to respond immediately, but not so long that days have actually passed. Anything longer than three days and you're not giving him space, you're just delaying the inevitable.

When you do send something, send it and put the phone down. Don't check if he's read it. Don't watch for the typing bubble. If he doesn't respond to that second message within a day or so, you have your answer. He's not interested enough to show up. At that point, you stop. You don't send a third thing. You move on.