I love the beginning stages of a relationship. The butterflies, the flirting, and the texting. However, texting isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but when you fancy someone, you can find yourself spending hours on your phone.
You find yourself waiting for their reply, smiling at your phone whilst being tactical about how you should respond to their message. Even though texting a potential new bae can be fun, it can also be confusing.
Are they texting quickly because they care? Or because they have nothing much else happening in their life? Is their constant use of GIFs a sign that they have a good sense of humour or a sign that they don’t know how to hold a conversation?
Pippa Murphy, the sex and relationships expert at condoms.uk takes us through what different texting styles reveal about the person you’re dating.
Here are the ultimate red flags when it comes texting.
If they always text you back immediately
If the person you’re texting responds immediately every time, even when you take a while to reply, this could be a red flag. It might mean that they’re always available to talk to you, or perhaps they have nothing better to do with their time than sit around waiting for your texts. Either way, it can make you feel pressured into responding right away or into spending more time with them than you’d like to.
If they always reply to you the following day
If they always reply to your text the next day, this indicates that they’re not putting any effort into your conversation and that you’re an afterthought, as they could have sent you a message before going to sleep – even if it was to apologise for the lack of communication due to a busy day, and that they’ll reply the next day. This would be a more polite way of making you wait.
They use a lot of emojis
Emojis are cute, but there’s a fine line between them being fun or a cop-out. If someone is constantly using emojis instead of real words when texting, this could be a sign that they aren’t great at communicating on their own and need some help from technology.
On the other hand, if someone uses emojis sparingly and has conversations with you without them popping up every few seconds, then there’s no need to worry about this one—it’s just another way people express themselves!
They make every conversation sexual
It’s clear this person is looking for a sexual connection right off the bat. They may be more experienced and confident in their sexuality, or they could be trying to impress you by seeming like an expert.
The problem with this approach is that it can make you feel uncomfortable or even pressured into having sex before you’re ready. Make sure to only reply to this person sexually if you genuinely want to and feel confident doing so.
So what are some texting green flags?
If they reply within a couple of days or by the end of the day
If someone takes a while to respond to your texts, it’s best not to jump to conclusions about what that means. Some people have busy schedules or have trouble finding the right words when talking on the phone or in person, so they prefer communicating via text message. If they’re taking their time because they don’t want to say something wrong and are trying hard not to offend you, that’s actually a good thing!
If you both send short and sweet messages throughout the day
If someone texts you multiple times throughout the day, that’s a good sign (if you reciprocate it back, otherwise, it may be another red flag of them being needy).
When you both do it, it means that they’re also thinking about you and want to stay in touch. This can be especially important if you have a busy schedule or live far apart from each other. For example, they may send you a photograph of a cute dog they saw in the park, or a meal at a restaurant that they know you like.
However, if you don’t like their constant texts and feel like they seem overly attached and needy, take some time to think about whether this is something you want.
They always send really long texts
f they always send you long messages, they’re probably trying to tell you something through their writing style. They might be trying to express their feelings or make plans for the future. The good news is that this person takes communication seriously and wants to make sure you understand everything they’re saying.
They send a lot of GIFs
This person may also be looking for a way to break the ice with humour (and break the ice successfully), which means that he or she might be looking for someone who can laugh at his or her jokes — like you! If they use different GIFs each time, this also indicates that they’re creative and want to create a real personal response every time given that finding new GIFs can be hard.
However, if you find that they send repetitive GIFs or ones that are incredibly easy to find (as they’re first to show up when sending common searches like ‘yes’ or ‘thumbs up’) then they aren’t as creative but should still be appreciated as this takes more effort than an emoji.
They always send you a “good morning” or “good night” text
If someone texts you every day with a little message like “Good morning!” or “Good night!”, they’re probably sending it because they want you to know that they’re thinking about you – and don’t care about playing it cool. This person wants to be sure you know they care about you and that they’re thinking about spending time together soon.