What to do if he goes quiet after you message first

Start by looking at what he actually sent back. If he answered your question and added nothing, he probably thought the conversation was finished, or he was typing from a bus and never came back to it. If he left a hook, like a story he did not finish or a question he wanted you to answer, the silence is more likely a gap in his day than a decision.

Look at how the thread started too. If you joked about his profile and he matched the joke, he was into it. If he sent one word for every paragraph you wrote, he may be keeping things light or may be talking to several people. One message will not tell you which, so look at the whole exchange, including how fast he replied the first time.

Once you decide to follow up, the message has to be easy to answer. A question that needs a paragraph back will sit in his notifications until he has time to write one, and that time often never comes. Pick one specific thing from his profile or his last message and ask about it directly. Something he can answer in a line, like a place, a name, or a yes or no, gives him the easiest way back in.

Do not stack two or three questions into one message. Multiple questions let him choose which one to answer, and people often answer neither. Say the new thing, make it about him, and stop there. The message should read like a normal continuation, as if the conversation simply paused for lunch.

Timing depends on how the thread ended. If it was going well and stopped mid-flow, a follow-up after a day is normal and does not look needy, especially if you send it in the evening when people tend to check their phones. If the conversation was thin from the start, give it two or three days before you return, so you are not chasing a thread he never really invested in.

If you send one follow-up and get nothing, treat that as your answer for now. Wait about a week before reopening anything, and only do that if something new has happened, like he posted a photo you could comment on. Do not send a third message asking whether he is still interested. Move on to the next match and let him come back if he wants to.