15 Reasons Your Man Never Texts You First But Always Replies To You

Do you often find yourself wondering, “Why is it that he never texts me first but always replies fast?” Don’t fret. Millions of women around the world probably face this challenge even when everything seems to go right in their love lives. So, why is it that in spite of the common expectation that a man should be the one initiating a conversation, some men tend to do just the opposite?

Well, men are fairly easy creatures when it comes to dating. It’s said that when a man is interested in pursuing a woman, he will turn the world upside down for her. And you would know that he isn’t interested when he doesn’t initiate any interaction. But is it really that simple? Or is there some mystery to it? We’ll find out in this article. So, read on to unravel a few reasons why some men don’t text first and also ways to deal with this situation.

15 Reasons Your Man Never Texts You First But Always Replies To You

If a man never takes the initiative to text you first but replies when you initiate, there could be a whole lot of reasons behind this behavior. While there are rules for texting while dating, not all rules are followed by all. People vary and so do their dating styles. A Reddit user relates why he would do that: “I’m a shy guy, and I don’t think I’ve ever started a conversation with a girl, but whenever a girl talks to me, I’ll talk back.”

Related Reading: How To Ignore Your Boyfriend When He Ignores You?

So, are you one of those who’s often complaining, “He never texts me first but always replies when I do”? Or measuring his love and care for you by the frequency of the text messages he sends? Well, try reading up these reasons why a man wouldn’t text you first but always reply to you:

1. He is just shy

If your man shies away from initiating a conversation but replies instantly, he could be introverted, for all you know. Sounds strange, right? Especially, when the traditional dating rules suggest men should make the first move. Interestingly, many men who don’t feel confident or are just plain introverted fail to open up easily, even with their friends.

You see, shy men are overthinkers who may refrain from text conversations (or any conversations for that matter) because they fear that one wrong move from their end could mess things up

But on the other hand, they may love getting attention from you. So, they prefer to reply to your messages, as they feel safer that way. At times, the reply may be instantaneous, as they have probably been waiting for that first text. It’s just that they cannot muster enough grit to text you first.

2. He is guarding himself emotionally

“He never texts me first but always replies, why is that?” Well, remember, it’s not just women who are guarded. Men too shield themselves from probable emotional hurt. He could be unsure of your feelings about him, and as a result, may respond in a calculated measure when you reach out to him. He may appear cold, but this may be his way of protecting himself from any possible hurt.

These could be some probable reasons behind this:

• He may have suffered a bad breakup and probably prefers taking it slow now
• He may just want to be sure about whether you feel as much about him as he does for you before he opens up completely to you
• He is afraid of how you may respond if he texts you first and doesn’t want to lose the bond forever
• He probably wonders if texting you first is a sign of clinginess

Related reading: 20 Brilliant Tips for Dating A Shy Guy

3. He has unresolved trauma from past romantic relationships

Previous romantic relationships do shape our perspectives on future dates to a great extent. And if the man you’re interested in shies away from initiating conversations, he probably has a mental block now. And that could be because:

• He was cheated on by a partner
• He has experienced monetary, physical, verbal, or emotional abuse in a past relationship
• His partner left him after he made it clear he was interested in her
• His bond with a former partner soured after he showed interest in her

4. He isn’t enjoying your texts

So, if you’re struggling to make sense of, “He never texts me first but always replies”, the simplest of all reasons behind a man’s disinterest in texting you first could be that he isn’t enjoying the interaction with you. If you’re being a dry texter, he may be just trying to be nice by responding to you. These could be possible reasons why:

• You talk about things he isn’t interested in
• You aren’t flirting with him, which makes him wonder if you’re interested in him
• You don’t share jokes or memes and stick to serious topics

Related Reading: How Does A Guy Behave After A Breakup? 11 Things You Didn’t Know

5. He’s insecure

When a man never texts first but replies instantly, remember, insecurity could be one of the reasons behind this. And there could be multiple reasons responsible for this insecurity, such as:

• He may feel he isn’t too good-looking or smart and you are way out of his league
• He may have had insecure parental relationship problems
• He may have been bullied in school or college, and that may have affected his self-esteem

6. He is super busy with life and other priorities

Now, he could genuinely be busy at work, which is why he may not be able to initiate instant chats with you. Or his domestic responsibilities may have been giving him a hard time, and he may not have enough time to text you even if he likes you. This might make him seem cold, but you need to gauge the situation to find out his work schedule and not bother him when he is busy.

7. He is not coming clean

You may have been a victim of fishing dating if he is avoiding interactions with you. He is probably two-timing you with another girl or keeping his distance so that you don’t get too attached to him. In such cases, you need to communicate and find out if there is, in fact, another girl in the equation. If it is so, run away from this toxic relationship immediately. And if you’re still asking yourself, “I always text him first, should I stop?”, well, maybe you should.

Related Reading: My Boyfriend Is Flirting Online with Other Girls

8. He is a casual dater

Every time you ask yourself, “What does it mean if a guy never texts you first?”, remember one probable reason for him being aloof could be that he wants to stay away from love and a relationship. But on the other hand, he enjoys your attention and likes you as a fun person in his life. So, he likes playing games. In short, he wants to date you casually and doesn’t want to give you wrong hints by texting you first. So, if you keep asking yourself, “Why is he liking my posts but not texting me?”, well, he probably doesn’t want to.

9. You text him frequently

From ‘good morning’ to ‘good night’, you text him whenever you feel like it. You do not even hesitate to double-text. Well, chances are, you aren’t giving him enough time to miss you, and that’s causing him to lose interest. So, before wondering why he never texts you first, try and give him some space. Break the habit for a day or two and see if he starts texting you first or not. This way, you will be able to test the waters as to where your relationship is heading.

Related Reading: 10 Cute Texts To Send To Your Man When You Are Missing Him

10. He has commitment issues

So, what does it mean if a guy never texts you first? He may just be scared that you might want to jump into commitment as soon as he starts texting you frequently. So, to avoid giving you the wrong hints about the relationship, he may actually skip texting you first.

This is a sign he’s a commitment-phobe. If you’re looking for something serious and long-term and he is not, you clearly aren’t on the same page. So, instead of spending time texting him or asking yourself, “Why is he not texting me?”, distance yourself from him.

11. He may be afraid of disturbing the dating equation with you

A genuine guy who thinks a lot about you may avoid texting you first to avoid irritating you or making you angry. So, among other things:

• You may have come across as a no-nonsense person who may get offended by his texts
• In your casual interactions, you may have told him that you would never want a clingy boyfriend who’d text or call the entire day

So, before asking yourself, “Why is he not texting me?”, try to understand that he may be deliberately avoiding texting you first to avoid being in your bad books.

Related Reading: Texting For A Date – 15 Tips To Do It Right

12. He may be trying to gauge whether you are into him

Do you often find yourself saying, “He likes me but never initiates contact”? Now, this is an actual dating game where he is probably trying to understand whether you like him or not. But, even if he is waiting for you to text him before he responds, he may be enjoying the attention.

A coworker, Nathan, once told me how he picked dates on a dating app. He said he would message them once and then not text for about a week. He would wait for the girl to text him, and if she didn’t, would avoid speaking to her and focus on others. This is how he found out if a girl liked him or not. So, your man may just need a few signs that you are into him, whether through texts or during face-to-face interactions.

13. He is not that into you

Do you often ask yourself, “Why is he liking my posts but not texting me?” It’s quite possible that he isn’t that into you. But to avoid hurting you, he is trying to be cordial and nice to you. This could be the reason he doesn’t initiate texts but always responds when you text him. Here are the signs to watch out for in such situations:

• His responses are always one-word answers
• He takes a long time to respond
• He ends the chat abruptly

Related Reading: Breaking Up Over Text — How Cool Is It?

14. He likes to play hard to get

“He likes me but never initiates contact.” Sounds familiar? Well, some guys feel that by embracing a brooding and serious persona, they might be able to appear more attractive to you. But in such cases, you may overlook their actual intentions toward you. So, this ‘hard to get’ game may be the reason behind him not texting you first. And if you’re still asking yourself, “I always text him first, should I stop”, well, in this case, you can wait and watch.

15. You have a strong personality

Weak men often avoid women who appear strong. They may be scared or intimidated by your strong personality. As a result, they may avoid or stop texting you first. This has got nothing to do with you, and you needn’t change yourself to suit the needs of a man who doesn’t deserve a headstrong woman like you.

A friend of mine, Clara, was a seasoned athlete and a strong-willed woman. She liked a guy at the gym where she trained. They hit it off well and had a few dates, but she later broke down during a conversation with me, saying, “My boyfriend never texts me first.” Clara, when she confided in me, said she sensed it was because she had a strong personality and guys were probably intimidated by her.

What To Do If He Never Texts First But Always Replies

So, now that you have a fair bit of an idea about why a man wouldn’t text you first but will always reply, you should also know that this is quite a common phenomenon. A Reddit user shares her experience: “We’ve been on 4 dates, and have amazing chemistry. It’s weird to me though that he won’t text me after a date, or on any other night either. When I message him, he replies quickly and seems super into me, so I guess he’s not ignoring me. I’ve only waited max. 48 hours before messaging first, so of course, I don’t know if he would text me after a longer period of time. That’s not my style though, I like him and hate games.”

Now let’s see what can you do about such a situation. Well, for starters, you may not be able to do much if he’s clearly not into you. But what if he’s still testing the waters or is waiting for you to give him clearer hints? Well, instead of cribbing, “He never texts me first but always replies when I do”, here are a few things you can do if he never texts first but always replies late:

• Don’t reply immediately: The golden rule of dealing with someone who is probably playing ‘hard to get’ is not to reply immediately to his texts. Give him a taste of his own medicine by making him wait for your replies, and wonder, “Why isn’t she texting me back?”
• Make him realize why he needs to text you: Give him a reason to text you. So, make it seem like he will get a first date or a weekend trip with you. Show him you’re interested but don’t make it too obvious either
• Don’t make your texts too clinical: The fundamental rule to making him want to text you is to not be a dry texter. Try spending time looking for quirky memes and jokes to share
• Be flirtatious and fun: Add a tinge of flirtatiousness when you text him. This will ease things up a bit if he’s nervous or is scared to text you first
• Text him when he is free: Learn about his work schedule or when he is usually free. Be it late at night or during the day, text him when he is able to text you without any hassles
• Make sure he knows you like him: To allay all fears of rubbing you the wrong way and spoiling the bond, make sure he knows you like him. Throw some subtle hints that you fancy him and won’t be offended by his texts
• Try the 3-day rule: Withdraw from all sorts of texting for 3 days and see if he responds. If he does, he may be just playing ‘hard to get’. If he doesn’t, he may just not be into you

We hope you aren’t still confused by the “he never texts me first but always replies” phenomenon or wondering, “Why doesn’t he text me first?” Healthy and open communication is the key to a fulfilling dating experience. But if your man is not opening up to you normally, then watch out for the probable reasons listed in this article. Nonetheless, every couple may have a different communication challenge. But remember, if his intentions toward you are genuine, watching out for these signs will help you bridge the relationship gap, if any.

Besides this, understanding dating patterns and attachment styles can be the perfect antidote to this issue. If you love your partner and are truly invested in the relationship, realize that instead of sulking, “My boyfriend never texts me first”, it’s important to put in some effort to know the root cause behind this behavior. It can help improve your communication style as a couple and put an end to this whole who-texts-first game.

How Guys Text When They Like You – We Give You 15 Clues

When A Guy Cancels A Date – 5 Common Scenarios And What You Should Text

15 Clever Ways to Turn Down An Ex Who Wants To Be Friends

Your contribution does not constitute a charitable donation. It will allow Bonobology to continue bringing you new and up-to-date information in our pursuit of helping anyone in the world to learn how to do anything.