Ask someone out when they text less but are warm in person

Read what's actually happening. If someone is engaged when you're together, makes eye contact, laughs at your jokes, and finds reasons to be around you, but their texts are one or two words, they're not playing hard to get. They're just not a text person. Some people's brains don't work in writing. Others get anxious performing in text. A few just prefer to talk face-to-face.

The risk is you mistake their texting style for their feeling. So you either push harder in text, which usually backfires, or you pull back because you think they're not interested and miss someone who actually likes you. The real tell is always what happens when you're in the same room.

Don't try to build rapport in text with someone who doesn't text. You'll both end up frustrated. Instead, use messaging to set up the next time you see them. Keep it short and clear. A text like 'Want to grab dinner Thursday?' does two things at once. It removes the pressure for them to perform in writing, and it gives you both the thing you're actually good at, which is being together.

The move isn't to ask them out via a long heartfelt message. It's to ask them out before you've both had five more rounds of stilted texting that neither of you is enjoying.

Once you've hung out and felt that connection, text them within three days. Don't overthink the wording. A direct, low-pressure invite works best here because they'll actually respond. If they say yes, great. If they say no or ghost, you have your answer without wasting weeks texting someone who isn't showing up.

If they don't respond after one ask, wait a week and try once more with something light. After that, stop. Someone who's interested will make it possible for you to reach them, even if they're bad at text. If you're getting silence, they're signaling something real.