How to text back after he goes silent for three weeks

Three weeks means he wasn't thinking about you. People who like someone find five minutes to send a text. The gap tells you where you sat in his priorities, and that matters for how you calibrate your reply.

His message could come from real interest (he realized he missed you and wants to restart), low effort (he's bored and scrolling), or opportunism (he's between people). You can't know which from one text, but you can reply in a way that doesn't assume the best. A short, warm reply without enthusiasm keeps your options open. It shows you're not desperate, you're not mad, and you're not sitting around waiting for him.

Your reply needs to do two things. First, prove you have a life outside this text thread. This doesn't mean lying about being busy. It means your response feels like it came from someone who was doing something, not someone who was waiting. A short, off-the-cuff reply works better than anything that sounds polished or considered.

Second, put the ball back in his court with actual effort. Don't ask generic questions. If he asks how you've been, you can answer briefly and then ask him something specific enough that a lazy answer won't work. This filters for whether he actually wants to talk or is just testing the waters.

Don't text back within minutes of getting his message. Wait a few hours, or until the next day if you can. This does two things: it shows you're not sitting around watching your phone, and it buys you time to actually consider whether you want to engage.

After you reply, don't chase. If he goes dark again, you have your answer. One or two unanswered messages from you is the limit before you stop texting entirely. Three weeks of silence earns him one real shot at a conversation. If he doesn't step up in the next week or so, he's shown you how he treats people he's interested in.