How Long Is Too Long Not to Text Back?
Post Senning's general rule is to not wait longer than one to three hours to reply, he tells TI. "A text conversation can go stale in a few hours," he says. "Don't just make them wait." If you're crushing on someone, don't play mind games, he says.

How long is a long time to respond to a text?

5-15 Minutes:

You're pretty important, and perhaps even more so than the person who gets a response time of 5-60 seconds, because that's hasty and at risk for typos, whereas this requires taking a few moments to carefully construct a reply.

How long should you wait for a text back before giving up?

A week gives the person enough time to thoughtfully respond.

Even though it's a little old-fashioned, some people will wait 3 days after a date to text you back to make you miss them more. Waiting any longer than a week could be a sign they're not interested, and it might be best to let the conversation die out.

James H. Sterling

James H. Sterling

Environmental Science & Climate Journalist

James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.

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