It's Rude to Wait More Than 20 Minutes to Reply to a Text, Google Research Says (2024)

FAQs

It's Rude to Wait More Than 20 Minutes to Reply to a Text, Google Research Says? ›

If you ever sit there wondering why someone won't reply to a text you just sent, you're not alone. According to a new paper from researchers at Google, impatience is a universal condition now. According to their study messaging etiquette says waiting more than 20 minutes to respond can be seen as rude.

A week gives the person enough time to thoughtfully respond.

The person you're chatting with could still be interested even if they've gone dark for a little while. It may feel like a long time waiting for them to reach out, but keep your hopes up that they'll text you back.

While it's okay to reply later if you're actually busy, purposefully waiting to text somebody might feel disrespectful if you're available. If you had to make the person wait for more than an hour, offer them an apology and explain what kept you from messaging them.

The appropriate response time also depends on what the text message is about. Time-sensitive messages need to be answered quickly while nonurgent ones can go longer without a response. However, in general, it's important to reply within 24–48 hours to avoid being rude and inconsiderate.

While taking a full 24 hours to reply can demonstrate a desire for introspection and careful consideration, it's important to acknowledge that such a delay may leave the other person feeling frustrated or unappreciated.

Don't text anything confidential, private, or potentially embarrassing. Don't be upset if your text doesn't get an immediate response—you can't know for sure when the recipient will read the message. Think of texting as a conversation: If you would respond in the conversation, then respond in the text.

It's all about how we ignore a text of course. No-one wants to be rude. So, set clear expectations for response times, use automated tools to let people know you won't be responding for a while and remind yourself that, if you're doing digital triage properly, not every message needs or deserves a response.

Although it's often frowned upon to ignore text messages because it is rude and can be interpreted as a disdain for the other person, sometimes people need to realize that I don't want it be that I'm required to respond to people all the time.

As a phrase, “dry texting” is relatively recent in the grand scheme of things. It refers to people who reply with one word, or don't carry the conversation and just say things like “lmao” and “wyd” until the receiver wants to tear their hair out in frustration or boredom.

What is the psychology behind not replying to texts? ›

1 They're processing what you said. 2 They're experiencing text anxiety. 3 They're experiencing digital burnout. 4 They're struggling with their mental health.

Out of 132 people who participated, 89% (118 people) voted that texting back quickly is a TURN-ON and 11% (14 people) voted TURN-OFF. One voter let me know she tapped “off” by accident so these results are slightly skewed, but still — the results are clearly in favor of texting back fast being a turn on.

“It could be busyness (feeling overwhelmed with messages) or underlying anxieties that lead someone to be a bad replier,” she explains. “Sometimes it can also be about control – when we feel anxious and overwhelmed, we might try to take control of the situation i.e. 'It's up to me when I get back to someone'.

Either he is very busy or not interested in you anymore. If someone considers you important, they will respond irrespective of their busy schedule. Do some guys purposefully wait hours and hours to answer every text after your first few dates to not look too keen? Yes.

The bottom line: don't spend hours trying to analyze how someone really feels about you based on their response time. Sure, your crush might be sending subliminal messages... or, that six-hour time gap just meant that they were working, hanging with friends, studying for exams, or were simply busy.

Usually, one to three days is sufficient before you send another text. Avoid asking her whether she got your text. Please do not talk about the thing you texted her about unless she brings it up. Wait a while before you ask her out again, especially if your text was about asking her out.

How you handle the response depends a great deal on the sender, but in general it's best to simply apologize for the delay with any relevant reason, such as not having your phone with you, being overwhelmed with a project, or the simple fact that the message was lost in your inbox.