If your crush never texts you first, then your time might be better spent on someone else. It’s not fair for you to keep putting yourself out there when your crush won’t do the same. [2] X Research source

“This made me think of you!” Send along with a link or funny picture that ties into an interest or joke you and your crush share. “That thing you posted on Facebook was hilarious. " “I had a super weird dream about you last night. " “I bet you $5 that. . . . " or “I dare you to. . . “[4] X Research source

Keep in mind that on some phones you can see when the other person is typing. You should also make sure you don’t have “read receipts” enabled on your phone, which will show the other person exactly when you viewed his or her text.

If you tell your crush, “I’ll text you tonight,” make sure you follow-through! Your crush might write you off or feel hurt if you don’t text when you say you will.

Ask your crush for any movie, music, or book recommendations. Try, “I’m tired of all my music. What are you listening to?” If your crush plays a sport, ask about the most recent game. Talk about the things you have in common. If your crush has a hobby you are curious about, invite him or her to teach you more about it.

Use emojis if you like them, just try not to overdo it. A well-placed wink can be very flirtatious! Mix things up by sending funny pictures or animated gifs, too. If your crush says he or she is sleepy, send a gif of a cute puppy struggling to stay awake.

Try not to send super long texts or respond to a single text with five or six messages. Try to get that balance so neither one of you is working harder at the conversation than the other. [6] X Research source

You can poke fun at his dirty, lucky hat he always wears, or how she never puts down her guitar. Or try, “Some friends are going bowling tomorrow night. Don’t come if you’re afraid of losing. To me. ” Don’t let the teasing turn mean, and don’t let the fun, light tone keep you from steering things toward romance. Think about your ultimate goal – is it to hang out? Or just start a dialogue? If you want to eventually hang out with your crush, start steering the conversation in that direction. [7] X Research source When your crush teases you back, try something like “Ooo, that hurt. You’re going to have to buy me ice cream to make me feel better. “[8] X Research source

Think about if you and your crush have a falling out and you know that picture is still saved to his or her phone? What if the phone is stolen or the picture gets posted online or sent out? Is it really worth all the worry?[11] X Research source Don’t ever feel like you have to send a naked picture of yourself, just because your crush asked. If your crush cares about you and is worth your time, he or she won’t pressure you into doing something you’re not comfortable doing (or is a crime if you’re under 18).

Don’t end things too abruptly if you can help it. Instead of “Gtg! Bye,” let your crush know what you’re up to. Something like, “I gotta run! Going to a concert with Elizabeth!” Tell your crush you’re looking forward to picking up the conversation later.

If it’s something that is really bothering you, ask your crush what’s going on when you see him or her in person. If you invite your crush to do something and there’s no response, don’t wait around. Make other plans, keep living your life, and maybe post a bunch of pictures on Facebook so your crush knows what he or she is missing!

If your crush is engaging you over text (giving you more than one word answers, initiating conversations), he or she is probably interested. Push your nervousness aside, be bold, and bring your flirtation into the physical world! If you don’t see your crush in person (maybe you live in different cites or even countries), try to transition into a phone conversation. You can tackle more personal subjects and really start to get to know each other.