Should I text less to make him ask me out

This is the actual situation. He's reaching out, the conversation is happening, and he's comfortable. But he's not moving toward a date. That comfort is the problem, not your reply speed. He doesn't feel pressure to do anything because texting you is already giving him what he wants, attention and entertainment with zero stakes.

Pulling back on texts won't break that pattern because he'll just text less too, and you'll both fade out. What breaks it is your replies making it clear that texting is not the same as spending time with you. Your messages need to indicate you're someone who has a real life, limited time, and standards for how your time gets spent.

A good reply to casual texting does two things at once. First, it stays brief and casual, matching his tone so the conversation feels natural and not forced. Second, it ends the exchange. Don't ask questions back that keep the thread going. Don't build on what he said. Respond, then stop.

This isn't punishment. It's the difference between texting as a pastime and texting as a warm-up to real plans. When he gets a short, friendly reply with no follow-up questions, he has two choices: keep texting and seem needy, or make an actual plan. The text ends quickly. That's what creates the space for him to ask you out instead of messaging you indefinitely.

If he's been texting you casually for more than two weeks without asking you out, he's not going to. This isn't about waiting longer or changing your reply style. He's comfortable with what this is. At that point, you're waiting for something he's already decided he doesn't want to do.

Stop replying quickly. Stop replying at all for a few days. If he doesn't double down or change course, accept that he's showing you what he's willing to offer, which is low-stakes texting. That's information. Use it to move your attention to someone who asks you out.