Should you send a casual 'hey' to see if he responds

If there's been radio silence for a while, that gap matters. A few days is normal. A few weeks is information. Sending 'hey' after weeks suggests you're hoping he'll do the emotional labor of figuring out where things stand.

Before you send anything, be honest about what the silence means. Did he fade. Did you. Has life just gotten busy. The answer changes whether a casual message makes sense. If he's shown no interest and you're reaching out cold, a plain 'hey' won't change that. If you just haven't talked in a bit and things were good before, you have room to restart things properly.

Instead of testing with nothing, mention something specific. A song that reminded you of a conversation. An event or place he told you about. Something he posted. A reason you're texting him now, not just hoping he'll carry it from there.

This does the work for him. He doesn't have to guess why you're messaging or figure out how to respond to blankness. He can actually engage with what you said. It also signals that you're thinking about him specifically, not just scanning your contacts for available options.

Text during waking hours when he's likely to see it in the moment. Morning or early afternoon gives him a chance to reply naturally. Late night messages sit in his notifications and often feel like less of a priority.

After you send, wait at least 24 hours before you decide anything. People are busy. He might see it and forget to reply immediately. One message hanging there is fine. A second one within the same day looks like you're waiting by the phone. If there's no response after a full day, that's your answer. Don't send a follow-up. Let it end there.