What to do if he says he's interested but acts like he isn't

Start with what he did, not what he said. Interested people leave a trail of small, specific actions. They suggest a day, name a place, or ask something that needs a real answer. If his words are big but the trail is only late night texts and likes, the likeliest reading is that he enjoys the attention but is not putting effort into spending time with you. Sometimes it is simpler than that. He is overwhelmed or disorganized, he means it, and he never turns it into a plan.

You can tell these apart by counting. Look at who started the last five conversations and whether any plan he mentioned had a day or time attached. A vague we should hang out with nothing concrete behind it is a placeholder, not an invitation.

Point at the mismatch with one question that only he can answer with a plan. Refer back to what he said, ideally in his own words, so he cannot argue you misheard. Then ask for one specific thing: a day, a time, or a choice between two options. Two options work better than an open question because they are easy to pick and hard to dodge without saying no.

Keep the tone light and the stakes low. You are not asking whether he likes you. You are asking whether the thing he said is going to happen. Do not stack a second question on top, do not bring up older texts, and do not add a line about how long you have been waiting. Each extra sentence gives him something to defend instead of something to answer.

Timing decides how much your message can carry. Send it in the daytime on a weekday, when you would normally text anyone, not at midnight when it reads as a mood. Then wait. Two to three days is a reasonable window for a casual back and forth, and longer only if he has told you he is traveling or buried in a deadline. If he replies with a real plan, confirm it once and let him handle the details.

If there is no answer after that window, do not send a louder version of the first message. One gentle follow up is fine if the first one was clearly an invitation. After that, stop initiating and see what he does with the space. If he stays silent for another week, or keeps answering with vague lines, you have your answer, and you can put your effort toward people who show up.