Seen your text but no reply for days? What to do next

A read receipt confirms he saw the message and chose not to answer it right then. That's different from a dead thread. Check what the message asked. If it asked him to think about something, like a plan or an opinion on a decision, it sat in the queue because answering takes effort. If it was a joke or a compliment, he may have felt there was nothing to add, which is common and says little about interest.

Look at how he talked before the gap. Did he send replies as long as yours, or did he always keep it short? Did he start conversations, or did you carry the thread? If he was already doing his share, a multi day gap after a question is more likely a timing problem. If you were doing most of the work, take that as a clearer read.

The first move is to lower the cost of replying. Ask something with a short, concrete answer, or offer him a choice between two options. A question that makes him rethink something he hasn't thought about yet gets left behind. Something he can answer while waiting for coffee gets answered.

The second move is to point back at a specific detail he gave you earlier, not the message he ignored. If he mentioned a trip, a job, a friend, or a show, bring it up as if you're still curious about it. That tells him the thread still has somewhere to go without making him feel tested.

The third move is to remove the pressure of his silence. Don't mention the gap, don't ask why, and don't wrap the message in apology. Acting like nothing happened is the easiest way for him to come back without losing face.

Wait at least a full day after your first message before doing anything else. If he's read it and still hasn't replied after 48 hours, a second message is reasonable, but only one. Send it at a time that fits his usual pattern, based on when he normally replies, not at 2am when you're bored and checking the read receipt.

The second message should stand on its own. Don't reference the first one or say you're checking in. Give him a new reason to talk, like a link, a question about something else, or a small observation about his week. If that also goes unanswered for another two or three days, stop initiating. Answer warmly if he comes back, but don't send a third message to chase him. Chasing usually makes the silence longer.