What to text a guy to see if he's interested

You already have a suspicion about where things stand. Maybe he takes hours to text back. Maybe he never asks you questions. Maybe you matched weeks ago and nothing's moved forward. What you're doing now is collecting evidence to confirm what you already sense. The message you send isn't magic. It's a diagnostic tool. You're creating a situation where his interest level has to show up clearly in his response. A guy who likes you will see your message and think about how to keep you talking. A guy who doesn't will give you the minimum and move on. The way he replies tells you the truth his words might hide.

Your message has to be specific enough that it actually requires thought to answer. Don't ask him how he's doing or what he's up to. Ask him something about a hobby he mentioned, his opinion on a topic you both care about, or reference something he said in a previous conversation that stuck with you. The point is to make a generic, one-word reply impossible without him looking like he's not paying attention. A good message also opens a door to a real interaction. It suggests something you could actually talk about or do together. This doesn't mean proposing plans yet. It means asking him something that naturally leads to more conversation if he wants it. Read your draft and ask: would he have to put in effort to answer this? Would a lazy response make him seem disinterested? If yes to both, send it.

Send your message on a weekday during normal hours, ideally early evening when people check their phones. Then stop. Don't send follow-ups while waiting. Don't send a second message if he hasn't replied after six hours. This just tells him you're more interested than he is, and guys react to that by pulling back further. Give him at least 24 hours. If he's busy or interested but slow, that window is fair. After 24 hours with no reply, or if his reply is a single word with no question back to you, you have your answer. He's not interested. Don't send another message asking why or trying to spark something new. One message per cycle is the rule. If you get a real reply and good back and forth happens, great. If not, move on the same day. Staying and hoping only delays you finding someone who actually wants to talk to you.