Everybody texts these days, both the young and the old. But sometimes the only text you receive is a lonely 'hey'. What do you do with that? Sometimes, we just need help on how to move forward.
If you want to know how to respond to hey perfectly, then keep reading to find out ways for how to respond to hey when you are, and are not, interested in talking with someone over text.
Another key thing to remember is words do not necessary convey your tone. Emoji's can be a big help if you want to make sure your message is taken as friendly, or not.
Before we get to the actual response examples, let's look at the do's and don'ts of how to respond to hey:
Image from kaboompics under pixabay license 01 Respond in a timely manner
02 Respond with a greeting (e.g. Hi, Hey, Good morning, Goodnight, etc.)
01 Don't try to force a conversation with somebody you aren't interested in talking to.
02 Don't leave the message on read, especially when you like that person. It might cause offense or give the wrong impression.
With these in mind, you can go ahead and check out these sample text messages.
If you are interested in talking to whoever sent you the hey text, but you are unsure about how to answer, check out these 15 sample messages:
01 "Hey" If they text hey, responding similarly is completely fine. You'll appear cool and casual.
Image from rawpixel under pixa bay license 02 "Hi" For some people, hi is a bit more intimate or friendly.
03 "Hello" This is a bit more formal and is better for when you are texting someone you don't know that well. This will cue them to lead the conversation.
04 "Howdy" If the person you are texting has a great sense of humor, he or she will find this funny
05 "Hey, what's up?" This text takes it a step further and shows that you are interested in the conversation.
Photo by Taken under pixabay licenseq 06 "Hey, how is your day going?" If you are really interested in the day-to-day activities of this person, then this is your best bet. It shows that, not only are you open to a conversation, but you are eager to start.
07 "Hi, *insert person's name*. How is it going?" By using the person's name, you are personalizing the message. It shows that you know who you are talking to and that you feel good about them reaching out.
08 "Good morning, I'm happy you texted me. How are you?" This kind of text is how to respond to hey perfectly, if you are really interested in talking to the person. By saying you are happy they texted, you are making it crystal clear you are interested.
Photo by bruce mars under Pexels License 09 "What took you so long? I missed you" If the person who sent you 'hey' is someone you know well, and haven't heard from in a while, this a great way to show them exactly how you feel about their text.
Image from freestocks.org under pexels license 10 "How are you" By not responding with a hello, instead getting right to asking about them, is an inviting way to say 'hi.'
11 "What are you doing?" This gets the conversation going and lets the person know you are up for a chat.
Photo by Toa Heftiba under unsplash license 12 "How's your night going?" Clearly, this reply is time specific, but you can switch night for whatever time of day it is and it is a friendly greeting.
13 "What's popping?" This is another way of asking what's up? or what are you doing? This is how to respond to hey from a person you are familiar with.
14 "What a pleasant surprise" If you haven't heard from the person in a while and they just texted you out of the blue, this will let them know you are happy to hear from them
PHoto by Clay Banks under unsplash license 15 "I was just about to message you! What a coincidence!" Reply like this if you were thinking about texting the person, especially if you haven't texted them in a while.
Image from StockSnap under pixabay license
If you are not interested in speaking to this person, you need to make it clear. Here is how to respond to hey if you want to end the conversation.
16 No Response Simply ignore the message. They'll get the point.
17 Respond very slowly Late/Slow responses kill conversations because by not responding, it shows that you are not very into it.
Image from pexels under pixabay license 18 "Hey – I'm busy, let's try later" Even if you aren't busy, the conversation will be cut short before it even begins. Works every time!
19 "Can't talk now" Short and to the point.
Photo by 3dman_eu under pixabay license 20 "Yes?" This is a bit rude, but it will deter them from trying to have a long conversation with you.
21 "I'm super tired. Going to bed" They will think that you are going to bed and won't want to bother you.
22 "It's pretty late" If you and someone are not well acquainted, and you feel it isn't right that they are texting you late at night. Hopefully, they will get the point and leave you alone
Photo by Marius Mann under pexels license 23 "At work, text you in a few" People, at work, don't have time to constantly reply to text messages so it is a good reason for not continuing to text at this time.
24 "Gonna wash my hair, I'll talk to you later" This is a popular excuse used by women and who knows, it might work for you.
Photo by Jackmac34 under pixabay license 25 "I don't feel like talking right now" Sometimes the problem does not lie with the person who texted you. Sometimes you are just not up for a conversation and that is completely fine.
26 "What do you want?" This type of text is very direct. Use this text to keep the conversation short and to the point.
27 "How can I help you?" Again, short and to the point. That's the best way to let the person know you are not interested in a long conversation.
28 "Out with friends, will text you soon" You don't have to be out with friends, this is just an excuse you can use if you don't want to hurt their feelings.
Image from StockSnap under pixabay license 29 "Leave me alone" Despite showing indications that you are not interested, some people will fail to take a hint. This makes it very clear that you are not interested.
30 Block him/her This should be a last resort if the person is very annoying and cannot take a hint.
Photo by geralt under pixabay license Knowing how to respond to hey is only part of texting, but a great place to start. Figure out whether you want to have a conversation with that person, at that time, and follow our advice.
Remember, text conversations take more than 'hey' to keep them going, and your tone is guaranteed to come across!