How to move to text when she says she's only using the app for now

When someone says they are only on the app for now, the words themselves tell you less than the surrounding context. Look at how long you have been talking, whether she has asked you questions back, and whether her messages have warmth or are short and flat. If she is engaged and just cautious, the boundary is a comfort thing. If she is pulling back, the boundary might be a polite way of closing things, and you will need to be more careful about how much you put into the next reply.

Also notice what she chose to say. People who want to keep you at arm's length often say "I'm not really on here for that." People who are interested but careful say "I'm just using it for now." The second one leaves a door open, and your job is to walk through it by staying interested in her instead of interested in the number.

Replies that fit this situation do one of three jobs. The first is to acknowledge the boundary in a sentence and move on, so she feels heard without feeling managed. A draft is doing this job when it is short, agrees with her in some way, and does not ask her for anything. It should leave out any reason you want more contact and any joke about how she is being careful.

The second job is to ask her a real question about her life or her choice to be on the app. A draft is doing this when the question is about her, not about your plan to move things along. It should leave out any question that sets up a number exchange, like asking what she is doing this weekend in a way that is really a setup for a call.

The third job is to share something about yourself that gives her a reason to keep the chat going. A draft does this when it offers a small detail and then stops, without a follow-up hook that demands an answer. It should leave out self-promotion and anything that sounds like you are trying to impress her into changing her mind.

Send your reply at a time when you would not mind a short answer or none at all. Replying within the same hour can feel eager, and a message that lands at 2am reads as needy. Most people prefer a reply that comes the next day or later that evening, because it looks like you have a life and are not waiting by the phone.

If she replies warmly, keep the thread going at a similar pace and let it develop naturally. If she replies briefly or not at all, wait a few days before sending anything else, then send one low-pressure message with no question about her number. If that gets no answer, let it go and do not send a follow-up asking if she got your last message. Stopping at that point is the respectful move, and it often leaves the door open for her to message you later.