Does he like me if he jokes about us dating in the future

When he brings up a future scenario with you in it, he's doing two things at once. He's floating the idea of you two together while keeping it light enough to laugh off if needed. This is actually more telling than a direct question because it shows he's comfortable imagining it.

The specificity matters too. Generic 'we should date sometime' is lower signal. But jokes about how you'd bicker, what your apartment would look like, or how you'd handle specific situations together indicate he's actually picturing it. He's not just saying words. He's thinking about the shape of you as a unit.

The move here is simple. You acknowledge the joke in a way that validates it without over-explaining, then add a small detail that shows you're thinking about it too. You're not confessing feelings or getting serious. You're just saying 'yeah, I can see that.' This tells him his joke landed and you're open to the idea.

Don't shy away or make it weird by being too earnest. Keep the tone light. The point is to match his energy while signaling that you're not rejecting the premise. This gives him permission to either keep joking or eventually say something more direct.

Reply within an hour or two, while the thread is still active. Waiting days makes it seem like you're overthinking it, which can make him self-conscious about the joke. He'll assume you didn't like it and won't try again.

If he goes silent after you respond, don't chase. He might be working up courage to say something less jokey, or he might just be busy. Wait for his next message. If he never brings up the future again and keeps things surface-level, that's different information. But one good response from you doesn't obligate him to escalate immediately.