Why Is He Ignoring Me? 22 Answers Before You Make Up Your Mind

Being ignored by someone is the worst feeling in the world. So if you’re asking, why is he ignoring me, here are the possible answers to ease your mind.

It’s really frustrating when a guy doesn’t text you back. Anyone who’s been ignored knows the feeling well and would most likely never want to feel it again. It also might leave you with a lot of questions. Why is he ignoring me?! Why won’t he just text me back?!!

It’s an annoying thing when someone ignores you, all the more if it’s a guy you like. It happens, but it doesn’t make it easier to be ignored. However, there are some legitimate reasons a guy could be ignoring you.

You don’t know what’s going on in his life, and you can’t know what he’s doing every minute of every day. For all you know, his reasons could be completely valid.

[Read: What to do when he doesn’t text you back – The steps you won’t like but need to follow]

How worrying too much about him ignoring you can ruin everything

Let’s think about this for a minute. How would you react if you grabbed your phone after a two-hour nap to a dozen texts and a few missed calls from a guy? You’d probably be a little weirded out, wouldn’t you?

So even if you keep asking yourself, why is he ignoring me, remind yourself that he’s probably busy working or living his life. He’ll probably text you the minute he gets some free time on his hands. [Read: 20 mistakes you need to stop making if you have relationship anxiety]

Is he really ignoring you or are you misreading it?

If you’re asking yourself, why is he ignoring me, the reasons aren’t always as personal as you think. Even if it’s easy to overthink things *especially when you really like him*, avoid doing so. People have a life, and the same goes for you.

So if he’s not texting back right away, maybe it’s not him ignoring you but a matter of him just being busy with work, his family, or something else entirely. It’s incredibly easy to take things personally, but try to see things from his perspective. [Read: The psychology of ignoring someone – Why we do it & ways to fix it]

Maybe a personal matter occurred and he had to deal with it first, or maybe he’s just hanging out with friends.

Don’t immediately assume that he never wants to talk to you again or that he’s not interested. Unless he directly drops a hint or he hasn’t texted for several days even when you know he’s totally active on social media, that’s the only time you should assume he’s ignoring you.

But before we go looking for the reasons behind why he may be ignoring you, let’s look at both sides to know if he’s ignoring you intentionally, or if something’s just keeping him busy.

Is he ignoring you? Legitimate scenarios you need to consider

Instead of jumping to crazy conclusions, you should stop and think about the person a little harder. Is he really ignoring you? Here are some situations that could explain why you haven’t heard from him in a while.

1. He’s just busy

People get busy and can’t get to their phones all the time. You sometimes do, too. He might not be ignoring you at all. He could just be swamped and unable to get to his phone. If you’re wondering why he can’t just update you and tell you he’s busy, it’s pretty hard to do that when you’re juggling a lot of things.

Maybe he saw the text notifications, put his phone down, and decided to text you later when he’s in a better and more relaxed frame of mind.

So just understand where he’s coming from and know that he’ll text back when he’s free if this is his reason. [Read: How to tell if a guy is playing you or using you for fun]

2. His phone died

Let’s be real for a minute. Phones die all the time. Of course, we’ve come to expect people to keep their phones charged when they know they’ll be away from a charging source. But people don’t actually do that.

We know that you’re desperately searching for answers for why he’s not responding, but maybe his phone died. Try to understand where he’s coming from. His phone likely died, and he just isn’t even aware you’re trying to get in touch with him.

3. He lost his phone

This one is really rare, but it’s still possible. Instead of ignoring you, he could’ve just lost his phone. It might’ve slipped out of his pocket while eating at a restaurant, and it also could’ve just fallen out of his pocket and onto the seat of his car.

This could be a one-in-a-million chance, but people do lose their phones. [Read: 20 sure reasons why a guy could be ignoring you]

4. He fell asleep

Okay, okay, hear us out. We know it sucks when the guy you’re texting falls asleep mid-conversation, but this happens. We’re sure you’ve experienced some tired days where you can’t help but fall asleep on the person you’re texting.

If you know he’s home and you’re convinced he’s ignoring you, just think about the fact that he could be asleep. People take naps all the time. He easily could have dozed off for a couple of hours and hasn’t seen your texts or calls yet.

5. He left his phone behind

This is another perfectly logical reason for his unresponsiveness. He just left his phone behind. He didn’t bring it to the store, or out with friends for dinner. Sure, it’s less logical nowadays but there are still plenty of people who don’t have their phones with them everywhere they go.

He could be one of them. You might’ve experienced a few days where you left your phone because you were in too much of a hurry. It might suck to be on the receiving end of this, but understand that it happens.

6. He doesn’t have service

He can’t get your messages if he doesn’t have network or service. Depending on where he is, he could be stuck without a connection at all. If that’s the case, he’s obviously not ignoring you. He just can’t reach you.

Of course, this could easily be an excuse, which is why it’s best to wait a few days before assuming he’s ignoring you. If he’s in a no-service zone, there’s nothing he can do.

7. Something unexpected came up

You can’t know every little thing in his life. Something serious could’ve randomly come up, and he can’t get back to you. He could have been in an accident or had to rush out because someone he knows was in an accident.

Life is full of unexpected things. Don’t just assume he’s ignoring you. This might be a rare instance, but anything could happen.

[Read: Being left on read – What it really means when they don’t text back]

Why is he ignoring me? The real reasons why he could be avoiding you

If the above reasons don’t fit, then he might really be ignoring you. After a couple days of silence on his end, you can expect one of the below to be true about why he’s ignoring you.

1. He doesn’t like you

He might not like you. Is that a bad thing? Not really. If he doesn’t like you, why would he string you along? Sure, he should’ve said something but the fact that he’s ignoring you is sending a clear message. So if you’re asking, why is he ignoring me, this could be a potentially valid reason for that.

We can’t control how someone feels about us, and that’s okay. You could move on to the next guy if this is the case. [Read: 16 signs he just doesn’t like you anymore and is slowly losing interest in you]

2. You’re annoying him

Honestly, you could be annoying him if you keep texting and calling. If you’re sending text after text without a response, chill out. People don’t like responding to those who are extra needy and clingy, and not in a cute way.

So if this is you, it’s time to lay down on flooding him with texts and calls. Remember that if you’re being annoying, people will avoid talking to you. If you don’t want him to stop talking to you entirely, don’t be annoying. [Read: 12 very annoying girlfriend habits that make a guy hate his girl]

3. You upset him somehow

Maybe you made a joke and insulted him. It’s entirely possible that he’s upset with you, and so he actually is ignoring you. Think about the things you’ve said and ask yourself if there’s something you need to apologize for.

Reflect on the things you said and on the exact time when his behavior started changing. You might not realize it, but maybe you said an offensive or insensitive comment that hit him hard. [Read: 15 tips to use when your boyfriend is mad at you]

4. He’s playing hard to get

Playing hard to get isn’t an exclusive “girl” thing, so be aware that guys do this now and then too. So it’s a reasonable excuse if you’re wondering, why is he ignoring me. He could just want more attention.

Playing hard to get doesn’t typically work all that well, but he might be doing it anyways. Perhaps, he’s ignoring you to make you want him more. He’s making himself unavailable so that you end up chasing him and wanting him more. [Read: Do guys play hard to get? The honest truth, 21 reasons and what you need to do next]

5. He only wants something specific from you

Truth be told, he might only want some naughty things from you. And because of that, he won’t text you unless he actually wants to be with you one particular evening and he has nothing better to do. If he ignores you except for late at night, that’s the case.

Sad to say but you’re just a booty call for him. If he already got what he wanted, chances are, he won’t text you ever again. [Read: What is a booty call? How it’s defined in science & life]

6. You might be the side chick

if you’re wondering, why is he ignoring me, one of the possibilities is the fact that he may be dating someone else already. This might not be something you want to think about, but it’s a real possibility.

If he’s around his main girl, he won’t answer your texts or calls. It’s possible you’re the side chick, even if you don’t know that truth! [Read: The most obvious signs you’re only a side chick even if you think you’re his main girl]

7. Someone else caught his eye

Perhaps you two were talking for a while, but it’s very possible someone else might’ve stumbled into his life. A good way to know this is if he slowly tapered off communication.

This could also be ghosting, and he doesn’t want to confront you with the fact that he’s no longer interested in you. Especially if it’s been weeks since his last text, he might’ve already ghosted you. [Read: 20 signs you’re already ghosted or on the verge of being ghosted]

8. He’s testing you

This is a pretty shitty thing to do, but it’s done sometimes. He might be trying to test how much you’d freak out if he stopped talking to you.

It’s like he’s baiting you to see if you’re the “crazy” type or if you’re already obsessed with him. Don’t give in to it. Keep your cool and remain unaffected if this is the reason for him ignoring you.

9. You don’t have anything interesting to say

Are you actually trying to have a conversation, or are you barely talking? If you’re only talking about the same things you always do, he might ignore you just because he’s bored.

If you don’t share the same vibe or energy, it’s easy for the conversation to get quite boring and dull. So if you’re asking, why is he ignoring me, this could be the reason. [Read: How to not be a dry texter – Signs you’re one and the best quick-fixes]

10. You freaked him out with your clinginess when he was busy, so now he really is ignoring you

How did you react when you thought he was ignoring you? Did you send a bunch of double texts and call over and over? If you did, there’s a good chance he’s ignoring you because of that, even if he was only busy before.

You messed that one up on your own. This kind of neediness isn’t attractive to anyone, so you might’ve just sabotaged any chances with him. [Read: 21 signs of a clingy girl and how to avoid turning into one]

11. He’s having a bad day

Would you rather he kept texting you but lashed out his bad mood on you, or stopped texting for a while to regain his cool? It’s probably the latter. It’s pretty mature of him if he stopped contacting you for a while for this reason.

It means he doesn’t want to project his bad mood and frustrations out on you, and he won’t text you until he’s feeling a bit better. So if he’s having a bad day, he’s probably going to ignore you for a bit.

12. He’s overthinking things

If you just recently started dating, there are a lot of things you don’t know each other yet. If he likes you a lot, it’s normal to overthink every scenario of your relationship.

Maybe he’s confused about your label, exclusivity, or where your relationship is headed. If this is the case, he needs some time to think things through about your relationship. But he’ll come back once he’s thinking more clearly. [Read: How to stop overthinking in a relationship & calm your mind down]

13. His family and friends don’t like you

If you’ve been dating for a while, this is a huge possibility when it comes to a guy ignoring you. Our friends and family play a massive role in the people we choose to date.

So if you’re thinking, why is he ignoring me, it could be because of his loved ones or closest friends. Maybe they don’t think you’re a good fit for him, which is frankly a valid reason. It still sucks, but it’s an excusable reason for his behavior towards you.

14. He’s shy

Look, not all guys are confident and aggressive when talking to you. Some are highly awkward and shy, and that’s okay! So if this is him, he might just be shy.

If you’re wondering, why is he ignoring me, he’s probably just working on the courage to talk to you and have an actual conversation with you without him being nervous. [Read: How to flirt with a shy guy – 15 baby steps to help him talk to you]

15. He thinks you’re too good for him

This reason completely sucks, we know, but it happens. Maybe he’s ignoring you because you’re not the type of girl he sees himself dating for the long term. If you think girls are the only ones attracted to bad boys, think again *this can happen to guys too*! [Read: How to let a guy know you’re not out of his league and are interested in him]

So, why is he ignoring you?

There could be so many reasons behind his ignoring you, both a combination of personal and non-personal reasons. For all you know, his reasons could be completely valid such as forgetting his phone, going through something personal, or being busy with life in general.

But generally, if a guy ignores you for several days or more, even if he seems active on social media, perhaps it’s time you take a step back. He’s probably not as interested in you as you are in him. And unless he clarifies his reasons for ignoring you with some legitimate reason, it’s best to just ignore him right back and move on to greener pastures.

Still wondering why is he ignoring me? Before coming up with the assumption that he’s ignoring you, reflect and look back first. Maybe his reasons are entirely valid and you freaked out for no reason!