What to Text a Guy in the Talking Stage (60 Ideas)

8 min read · Say Less

What to text a guy in the talking stage depends less on the perfect line and more on the moment you're in. Good talking stage texts do one job: they make him feel like talking to you is the easy, fun part of his day, and they nudge things toward actually hanging out. Below are 60 texts sorted by moment (morning, bored, flirty, after a date, when he's gone quiet) so you can grab the right one fast.

If you've already got a chat going and can't tell whether he's into it, Say Less reads a screenshot and shows his Interest Level out of 100 plus three replies you could send next. Read my chat

The goal of talking-stage texts

Quick definition, in case you're new to the term: the talking stage is the bit between "we matched / swapped Snaps" and "we're actually dating." You're texting a lot, maybe you've hung out, but nobody has said what this is yet.

So what should you text in a talking stage? Anything that does at least one of these:

• Shows you're curious about him (not interviewing him, curious).
• Shows a bit of you (your humor, your day, your opinions).
• Moves toward real life (a plan, a call, a hangout).

What doesn't work: walls of text, "hey" with nothing after it, or asking "wyd" every single day. The same rules apply if you're figuring out what to text a girl in the talking stage, by the way. The moments below work for anyone.

How much should you text in the talking stage?

There's no magic number. A good rule: match his energy and length, and let the chat breathe. If he sends two lines, don't send eight. If he texts a few times a day, you don't need to text twenty. We go deeper on this in our guide to how often talking stages usually text, but the short version is: consistent beats constant.

Morning and daytime texts

Good morning texts for the talking stage should be light. You're saying "you crossed my mind," not "reply to me immediately."

1. "Morning. Rate your sleep out of 10, be honest"
2. "Survived my 9am. Barely. How's your day starting?"
3. "Coffee or energy drink kind of morning?"
4. "Random but I walked past a dog that looked exactly like the one in your pics"
5. "What's the one thing you have to get done today?"
6. "Good luck with the exam/interview today, you've got it" (if he mentioned one)
7. "Lunch update: I'm eating something sad. Please tell me yours is better"
8. "Your hot take for today. Go."
9. "Okay I need a song for the commute, what are you listening to?"
10. "Hope work/uni isn't being too much today"
11. "Morning. Did the game go your way last night?"
12. "Just saw something on TikTok that is 100% your humor, sending it later"

Tip: specific beats generic. "Good luck with the presentation" lands way better than "gm."

Texts when you're bored

Bored texts are where talking stages either get fun or go stale. The trick is to give him something to answer, not just "bored lol."

13. "Would you rather: no phone for a month or no music for a month?"
14. "Top 3 comfort shows. I'll judge silently."
15. "What's a food you pretend to like?"
16. "Tell me the most chaotic thing that happened in your group chat this week"
17. "Quick poll: pineapple on pizza. Your answer decides a lot."
18. "What were you like in high school / sixth form? Honestly."
19. "What's your most used emoji? Don't check, guess."
20. "If you had a free Saturday with zero plans what would you do?"
21. "What's a hill you'd die on?"
22. "Describe your ideal Sunday in 3 emojis"
23. "Okay I'm procrastinating. Distract me with your best story."
24. "Unpopular opinion time. You first."

What questions to ask a guy in the talking stage over text

The best talking stage questions are ones where his answer tells you something real:

• "What are you weirdly good at?"
• "What's something you're looking forward to this month?"
• "Who in your friend group is the funny one? Is it you?"
• "What would your friends say is your worst habit?"
• "What's the last thing that made you actually laugh?"

Ask one at a time. Three questions in one text feels like a form.

Flirty texts

Flirty texts for the talking stage should feel playful, not intense. Tease a little, compliment a little, and leave room for him to flirt back.

25. "You're lowkey funnier than you let on"
26. "Stop, I actually laughed out loud at that"
27. "Okay that pic was unfair"
28. "I was going to be productive today and then you texted"
29. "Be honest, were you this charming in school or is this new?"
30. "You give off 'good at cooking but won't admit it' energy"
31. "I'm deciding if you're trouble. Jury's still out."
32. "Tell me something that'll make me like you more"
33. "You're a distraction and I'm not mad about it"
34. "Our next hangout, you're picking the place. Pressure's on."
35. "Sending this before I overthink it: I like talking to you"
36. "Rizz level today: surprisingly high" ("rizz" is slang for charm, if you're catching up)

Texts after you've hung out

The text after a date or hangout matters, because it tells him how it felt for you. Keep it warm and short.

37. "Had a really good time tonight"
38. "Still thinking about that story you told, iconic"
39. "Home safe. That was fun, we should do it again"
40. "Okay you were right about that place"
41. "Next time I'm winning at [bowling / mini golf / Mario Kart]"
42. "Thanks for tonight, genuinely"
43. "That was the best Tuesday I've had in a while"
44. "I'm free Thursday if you want a rematch"

Don't wait three days to look chill. If you had fun, saying so the same night or the next morning is normal.

Texts when he's gone quiet

This is the hard one. He was texting a lot and now the replies are slower, shorter, or not coming. First, check whether he's actually gone quiet or just busy. If you want the full playbook, read our guide on what to text a guy when he pulls away.

45. "Hope your week's going okay"
46. "Saw this and thought of you" + the link or meme
47. "How did the thing you were stressed about go?"
48. "No pressure, but I'd still be down to hang this weekend"
49. "Feels like you've been busy, all good?"
50. "Hey stranger. What's new?"
51. "Okay I'll say it: I miss our chats"
52. "Still up for that [place] you mentioned?"

Pick one. Send it. Then wait. Double texting once is fine. Three unanswered texts in a row is a pattern, and it's his, not yours.

This is where most people get stuck: rereading his last five replies and wondering if "haha yeah" means he's bored. Say Less does that part for you. Drop in a screenshot and it scores his effort, momentum and vibe, gives an Interest Level out of 100, and suggests a smooth, funny or bold next text. Read my chat

Check his interest

Talking stage texts only work if there's something to build on. Here's a quick table for reading what you've got:

A few extra texts to test the water:

53. "Are you actually a phone person or am I just lucky?"
54. "What do you want out of this, honestly? No wrong answer"
55. "I like where this is going. You?"
56. "Should we just make a plan instead of texting about it?"
57. "What's your week look like?"
58. "Real question: are you talking to anyone else?"
59. "I'm not great at the talking stage. Can we skip to the part where we hang out?"
60. "Tell me one thing you like about talking to me"

If he's giving you effort back, great. If you're always the one carrying it, that tells you something too. And if he's still viewing your stories while leaving your texts hanging, we break that down in he views my story but doesn't text me.

See how your talking stage is really going

You don't have to guess what to text a guy in the talking stage next. Screenshot your chat and Say Less gives you his Interest Level, a plain read of what's going on, and three replies (smooth, funny or bold) in about a minute. Your reads save, so you can see whether the chat is heating up or cooling off over time.

Read my chat

FAQ

What do you text a guy in the talking stage to keep it going?

Send things he can actually answer: a specific question, a funny observation, or a follow-up on something he told you. Mix in plans, too. A talking stage that's only texting tends to fizzle, so move toward hanging out.

How much should you text in the talking stage?

Roughly as much as he does. Match his length and pace, keep it consistent, and don't feel you need to text all day. Quality beats quantity every time.

What to talk about with your talking stage over text?

Your days, your opinions, shows, music, food, weird stories and your plans. Ask "would you rather" questions and follow up on things he mentioned before. That shows you listen, which is attractive.

Is it okay to text first in the talking stage?

Yes. Texting first is normal, whoever you are. If you're always texting first and he never does, that's a sign to pull back a little and see if he steps up.

What should I not text a guy in the talking stage?

Skip long paragraphs about your feelings early on, repeated "wyd" with nothing else, and guilt trips like "guess you're too busy for me." Keep it light, specific and honest.