What Does "Dry Texting" Mean and How to Fix It

You're texting your crush, and it's going... fine. But also not fine. She's responding, but with stuff like:

"Lol"

"Yeah"

"Cool"

"Haha nice"

You're putting in effort, asking questions, trying to be interesting—and she's giving you nothing to work with. It's like playing tennis against a wall that occasionally bounces the ball back but refuses to actually play.

Welcome to dry texting, the conversational equivalent of eating plain toast.

But here's the twist: Sometimes YOU'RE the dry texter and you don't even realize it.

This guide will break down what dry texting actually is, why it happens, and most importantly—how to fix it (whether you're dealing with it or guilty of it yourself).

What is Dry Texting?

Dry texting = Responses that kill the conversation momentum.

Examples:

• One-word answers ("k", "cool", "nice")
• No follow-up questions
• Low effort replies that don't add anything new
• Long delays followed by "lol"

What dry texting looks like in action:

You: "So I just tried making homemade pasta for the first time and it was a disaster. The dough turned into cement"

Her: "Lol"

You: [Staring at phone wondering if you should just give up on life]

Why People Text Dry

Before you assume she hates you, understand there are multiple reasons for dry texting:

Reason #1: She's Genuinely Busy

She opened your text during a meeting, sent a quick reply, and planned to respond properly later (but forgot).

Reason #2: She's Not That Interested

Hard truth: if someone likes you, they put effort into texting you. Dry texting is often a sign of low investment.

Reason #3: She's Bad at Texting

Some people are just terrible at text conversations but great in person. It's frustrating, but it's real.

Reason #4: Your Messages Don't Invite Engagement

If you're asking closed questions or making statements that don't require responses, you're making it easy for her to be dry.

Reason #5: She's Testing Your Interest

Some people text dry to see if you'll chase them. (This is annoying and immature, but it happens.)

Are YOU the Dry Texter? (Self-Assessment)

Before you blame her, check yourself.

Signs you might be a dry texter:

• You frequently respond with "lol", "haha", or "nice"
• You answer questions but don't ask any back
• You take hours to respond to interesting messages
• You give one-word answers to open-ended questions
• You never add new topics to conversations

Example of YOU being dry:

Her: "I just got back from the craziest hike! Almost got chased by a bear, no joke"

You: "Wow that's crazy"

Why this sucks: You gave her nothing to respond to. The conversation just died, and it's YOUR fault.

How to Fix Dry Texting (When You're the Culprit)

Fix #1: The "Yes, And..." Rule

Borrowed from improv comedy: never just agree or acknowledge. Add something new.

Dry response:

Her: "I'm obsessed with this new coffee shop downtown"

You: "Nice"

Better response:

"OK but what's their vibe? Like hipster Edison-bulbs-and-succulents or cozy grandma's-kitchen energy? This matters."

Why it works: You acknowledged what she said AND gave her something new to respond to.

Fix #2: Ask Follow-Up Questions (But Make Them Interesting)

Boring follow-up:

Her: "Just got back from yoga"

You: "How was it?"

Interesting follow-up:

"OK real talk: are you one of those people who can actually clear their mind during meditation or do you just think about what you're having for lunch? Because I'm definitely the second one"

The difference: The first is generic. The second reveals your personality and invites a real conversation.

Fix #3: Share, Don't Just React

Dry:

Her: "I'm rewatching The Office for the 5th time"

You: "Lol same"

Better:

"SAME. I'm convinced Michael Scott would've been fired in episode 2 in real life but somehow I love him anyway. Who's your favorite character? And if you say Ryan you're objectively wrong."

Why it's better: You shared an opinion, asked a question, and added humor.

How to Fix Dry Texting (When SHE'S the Problem)

OK, so you're doing everything right and she's still being dry. Here's how to handle it:

Strategy #1: Call It Out (Playfully)

The text:

"OK I'm getting some real 'one-word answer' energy here. Am I boring you or are you just bad at texting? Honest question."

Why this can work:

• Shows confidence (you're not afraid to address it)
• Lightens the mood with humor
• Forces her to engage or admit she's not interested

Her possible responses:

Good sign:

"Omg sorry! I'm terrible at texting. I promise I'm more fun in person"

→ Suggest hanging out

Bad sign:

"Lol idk"

→ She's not interested. Move on.

Strategy #2: Switch the Medium

The text:

"OK this conversation is suffering over text. Want to hop on a call real quick?"

Or:

"This is too much back-and-forth. Coffee this weekend?"

Why this works:

• Some people genuinely ARE better in person/on calls
• It shows initiative
• You'll quickly find out if she's actually interested

Strategy #3: Make Her Invest

Stop carrying the entire conversation. Match her energy.

If she sends:

"Haha yeah"

You send:

"" (just an emoji, nothing else)

The point: If she's interested, SHE'LL pick up the conversation. If she doesn't, you have your answer.

Strategy #4: The Final Test

Send one last interesting message. If she's still dry after this, you're done.

The text:

"Alright, one last attempt to salvage this conversation: you're stranded on a desert island and can only bring 3 things. What are you choosing? (And 'my phone' doesn't count because there's no signal.)"

If her response is STILL dry ("lol idk"):

She's not interested. Stop texting her.

Advanced: How to Keep Conversations Naturally Flowing

The best way to avoid dry texting (on both ends) is to structure conversations well from start.

The Thread Technique

Instead of jumping between random topics, build on threads.

Bad conversation:

You: "How was your day?"

Her: "Good"

You: "What kind of music do you like?"

Her: "Idk different stuff"

You: "Cool. Want to hang out?"

Good conversation:

You: "How was your day?"

Her: "Good! Just got back from brunch"

You: "OK crucial question: are you a 'mimosas at 11am' person or a 'three cups of coffee and a massive burrito' person?"

Her: "Haha definitely mimosas"

You: "Respect. So you're telling me if I take you out for brunch I need to find a place with good drinks. Challenge accepted"

See the difference? You stayed on the brunch thread and naturally led it to making plans.

The "Story Swap" Method

Share a story, THEN ask for hers.

Example:

"OK so my roommate just brought home a cat without telling anyone and now I'm apparently a cat dad. I've had it for 3 hours and I'm already one of those people who takes 800 pictures of it. Do you have any pets? Or are you more of a 'plants are enough responsibility' person?"

Why this works:

• You gave her something to react to (your story)
• You asked about her experience
• You gave her an easy out ("plants are enough responsibility") if she doesn't have pets

When to Walk Away

You should stop texting someone if:

• You've sent 3+ interesting messages and gotten dry responses
• She's not asking you ANY questions
• She takes 12 hours to respond with "lol"
• She's active on social media but ignoring your texts
• You're the only one initiating conversations

The reality: If someone wants to talk to you, they will. If they're consistently dry, they're telling you (without words) that they're not interested.

And that's OK. Stop wasting energy on someone who's not matching your effort.

Use AI to Navigate Dry Conversations

Here's the thing: figuring out how to respond to dry texting in real-time is HARD.

You don't want to seem pushy, but you also don't want to let the conversation die. You need the perfect balance of engaging without trying too hard.

That's where our AI Texting Assistant comes in:

How it helps:

• Paste her dry response (or screenshot the convo)
• Tell the AI: "She's being really dry, what should I say?"
• Get 3 response options:
• - One playful callout
• - One conversation redirect
• - One exit strategy

The AI analyzes the conversation history and suggests responses that match YOUR texting style while giving you the best chance of re-engaging her.

Final Thoughts

Dry texting is frustrating, but it's also fixable—IF both people want to fix it.

If you're the dry texter: Put in more effort. Ask questions. Share stories. Give people something to work with.

If you're dealing with a dry texter: Try the strategies in this guide. Call it out playfully. Switch mediums. Make one final effort.

And if it's still dry after all that? Let it go. You deserve someone who's excited to text you back.