How to Get a Guy to Stop Texting You: The Perfect Excuses & Examples

Buzz buzz, it’s the guy who won’t stop texting again. Here’s what you can do to get a guy to stop texting you without ruining the relationship.

It’s easy to harshly judge an over-texter, especially if you aren’t into them the way they are into you. But it is important to remember that we were all new to dating at one point and that it is a learning process. Unfortunately, most of us also know how it feels to be harshly rejected. This leads you to want to know how to get a guy to stop texting you, without resorting to the nuclear option *yet*.

We should all understand why some people get too enthusiastic about texting. But no one is entitled to your time, especially not some dude you are not interested in. [Read: 31 ways to make a guy lose interest in you and dislike you just a bit]

Common reasons guys don’t get a text back from a girl

If they are being rude or a creep, the answer for why they aren’t getting a text back is obvious. You are well within your rights to just block and report them. For other persistent texters, you could out and out say that you don’t like them and ask them to leave you alone.

This option, while excellent, may be too harsh for some. There is also the possibility that they will blow up at your rejection and have an immature meltdown. This reaction is not your fault but something you may want to avoid anyway. [Read: How to reject a guy and turn him down gently without hurting him]

But that is far from the only thing that would make someone dread picking up their phone. Here are the most common reasons guys text those who don’t want them to.

1. They are a terrible conversationalist

The advent of cell phones, especially smartphones, has been great for keeping in touch. Unfortunately, it has been terrible for those with bad social skills, only worsening their ability to talk to others. Many people these days have no concept of how a good conversation works, or how to start one. 

Part of why these guys don’t get a text back and girls stop texting them is that they are BORING. 

No one wants to carry a conversation by themselves, especially with someone they aren’t interested in, to begin with.

A conversation, even via text, involves two people both talking and listening. If you refuse to ask questions and only give one-word answers to the questions asked of you, that is not a conversation– that is an interrogation. [Read: 10 clever ways to get out of an annoying conversation]

2. They are being subtly creepy

Inappropriate, harassing behavior does not need to be overt to be valid. Some people make you uncomfortable by making inappropriate comments. Others make you uncomfortable by making strange and indecipherable comments. Some guys just give you the creeps, and that’s an instinct you should trust.

As a person with a cellphone, you are not required to try to figure out the motives of this person texting you. They could just be strange, or they could be intentionally making you uncomfortable. 

Whatever the reason, you can definitely stop texting a guy who makes you feel weird.

3. They won’t take no for an answer

When someone rejects the advances of the texter, the texter should accept that it is a complete and final rejection, unless stated otherwise. *And even if it is stated otherwise– do you really want to date someone who shot you down over text? Take the hint*.

If the texter doesn’t get the memo, you are well within your rights to block them. 

Someone who doesn’t respect a “no” is not someone you should spend time with. Even if they are harmless, they will ultimately resent you for rejecting them *or not “giving in” like they assumed you would*. 

It is nearly impossible to maintain a platonic relationship with someone who wants more from you. The best course of action is to rip off the band-aid and end any kind of relationship with them. [Read: Ways to reject and what to expect afterwards]

4. They are annoying

If you like someone, you will be excited to hear from them. If you don’t like them, you will be annoyed. 

Maybe they are a multi-texter, blowing your phone up all day long with every single detail of their lives. Maybe they use a weird shorthand you don’t understand. Whatever the reason, you want to get this guy to stop texting you. [Read: 18 serious warning signs of a clingy guy and how you can avoid him]

If you are the texter and you get the feeling that the person you are texting is annoyed, the only thing you should do is back off. 

Don’t ask them if you are being annoying *you are* or why they aren’t responding. The harsh reality of life is that if someone wants to talk to you, they will. If they don’t, then you have your answer.

5. The person doesn’t like texting

Lots of people find texting to be impersonal, or don’t want to spend all day tapping on their cell phone. One reason a girl may not respond to a guy’s texts is because she just doesn’t like texting. 

However, that doesn’t mean that the guy should keep texting her. Maybe he can ask if there is another way that person prefers to communicate.

But really anyone should take this statement for what it is – a subtle rejection, and a polite ask to be left alone. [Read: 28 subtle ways to friendzone a guy and not lead him on or hurt him]

Bad excuses that don’t work in getting a guy to stop texting you

Now that you established why you don’t want someone to text you, what methods have you tried to curb the enthusiastic texter? Was it any of these? If you want to get a guy to stop texting you, none of these excuses will do the trick:

1. No credit

Texting credits? What year is it? Almost all modern phone providers offer unlimited texting, and you look like you’re lying if you tried pushing for that excuse.

2. Battery’s always dead

Everyone knows that we charge our phones at night. And everywhere you go, it’s in your hand. Can anyone really believe that it always dies when you get a text that you don’t want? If you want to get a guy to stop texting you, you are going to have to do better than that.

3. No signal

Again, if you always have your phone on you, then you can just respond when you are back in range. 

4. This is her boyfriend

This is a bizarre tactic. If you want a guy to leave you alone, you don’t have to pretend to be a man to scare him off. Just tell him you want to be left alone. [Read: How to reject someone nicely and make sure you don’t lead them on]

If he doesn’t respect that, you have a bigger problem on your hands. 

5. Forgot to reply

You can only use that excuse so much before you start to look rude and condescending. At a certain point, you just need to tell the truth—you didn’t forget to reply, you just don’t want to text him. 

6. I don’t text that much

Even if this was true, you would text someone that you really wanted to talk to. [Read: Turning him down politely – A guide for nice girls]

Know any other excuse that didn’t work? Sometimes these excuses work, but there is no guarantee that they will get a guy to stop texting you. These are just placeholders. Sooner or later, you are going to have to tell them the truth.

How to get a guy to stop texting you the right way

You’re reading this feature, so you obviously are looking for an easy way to get a guy to stop texting you. 

It is simple when the person who is texting you is horrible, you can just block them. It’s harder when you actually like them as a person— just not in a romantic way. You don’t want to hurt their feelings, but you do want to be left alone. 

Therefore you don’t want the awkward conversation, or the part where you have to imagine their sad faces when they receive your final rejection message. Not only that, you don’t want to deal with an irate, scorned admirer.

We made this short list of alternative methods to get that guy to stop texting you, ASAP!

The subtle methods

Want to drop a subtle hint and get a guy to stop bothering you with a whole load of unwanted texts? Try this!

1. Post a status about texting on social media

A subtle method to get a guy to stop texting you is to post a status on social media about how tired you are of texting, and you are looking to only talk to people in person now.

However, this method may backfire– the texter may start demanding to see you in person, or you may accidentally drive off someone you do want to text you.

2. Give him another, easily ignored contact method

Tell him that if he wants to talk to you he needs to email you/Facebook message you or whatever, and then just never check the conversation. Between that and your lack of response to his texts, he should hopefully get the memo. [Read: 12 surefire ways to get a creepy guy to leave you alone]

3. Keep your responses brief

If you keep texting him, he is going to keep texting you. If you want to get a guy to stop texting you, you need to starve him out. 

Stop replying to all of his texts, and use only one-word answers to the ones you do reply to. Even the most determined suitor gets turned off by that. Silence agitates them, but one-word replies are just too depressing to even reply to.

Less subtle methods

If a guy isn’t giving up, or not really taking a subtle hint, here are a few less-than-subtle ways to get a guy to stop texting you.

4. Tell him you’re busy. Over and over again

Don’t just say you’re busy with work either. Tell the texter you are too busy with your partner, your friends, parties they are not invited to, etc. 

Judging by the frequency of your busyness with people who are not him, the guy texting you will probably take the hint sooner or later. Of course, you hope sooner.

5. Post you and your partner on social media

Being bombarded by texts from a wannabe suitor? If you have a partner, consider advertising that on social media. Post some pictures of you two together, or statuses about how great your relationship is, etc.

This is a very indirect but effective way to get anyone who is crushing on you to back off. 

6. Tell him the guy you’re dating told you not to text him

This is very old-fashioned and sort of sad, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

If you really want to get a guy to stop texting you, tell them that your partner demanded that you stop talking to them and that you’re just a complacent woman who does what they are told. 

It is a bummer that you have to resort to hiding behind a boyfriend, real or imaginary, to get a guy to stop texting you. Ideally, you wouldn’t need to lie and they would take the hint. Either way, the hope is that the texter will get turned off by your decision or, at least, respect your “man’s” boundaries. [Read: How to stop a guy from flirting and hitting on you]

The nuclear methods to get a guy to stop texting you

If all else fails, here are the blatant and kinda harsh ways to get a guy to stop bothering you with his texts.

7. Tell him you are not interested in texting him

If he asks why, tell him it’s because you don’t really like him that much.

Is it harsh? Yes. Is it effective? Yes. Don’t be overly nasty, but don’t lie either. Honesty is always the best policy, especially when you are trying to figure out how to get a guy to stop texting you.

His feelings may be hurt, but you can’t set yourself on fire to keep others warm. Besides, rejection stings but it is a normal and natural part of dating.  If you want someone to leave you alone, tell them. They may feel bad, but they will get over it and find someone else to text in no time. 

9. Ignore the texts

Really want a guy to stop texting you? Stop responding completely. They might get mad, they might rant and rave or try to guilt-trip you, but they can’t MAKE you respond to them if you chose not to. [Read: Being left on read and what it really means when someone doesn’t text back]

And if that doesn’t work, there is always the final method:

10. Block him

What else is there to do? If you’ve tried talking about it like adults and they are still pestering you, you are well within your rights to just block them. 

This goes double if they react to your rejection with guilt-tripping, abuse or threats. You do not owe anyone a romantic relationship. If they cannot handle being rejected, then they have no business dating anyway. 

Don’t let anyone make you feel bad for protecting yourself, your space, your time, and your sanity.

[Read: How to ghost someone when you’ve never ghosted anyone before]

If you want a guy to stop texting you for good, start with these subtle methods. But if they don’t work, don’t hold yourself back from using any of the harsher methods as well. After all, you’re dropping all the right hints, and if a guy chooses to ignore them, you have every right to block him from your life.