What to text your crush (without sending it yet)

Texting a crush can take an hour for a message of four words. Most of that time goes into imagining how it will look once it is sent.

Drafting first takes the pressure off. You get to see the message, change it, and decide later.

Easy openers

Something you both saw or talked about: "Did you ever finish that show?"
Something that reminded you of them: "Walked past that café and thought of you."
A small question they can answer easily: "Coffee or tea person?"
A plain compliment: "You were really funny today."

Say the thing you actually feel

Sometimes the message you want to send is the honest one: "I think I like you." Writing that down, even if you don't send it, often makes it feel less scary.

Before you send it for real

Read it back once, out loud. If it sounds like you, it is probably fine. Short and warm usually lands better than long and perfect.

Something you need to say?

Said, Not Read lets you send it to a pretend version of them first. Make a contact with their name, type the message, and watch it show as delivered. It never reaches them, so you can try as many versions as you like.

Make a contact, write it out, and watch it send.

Download on the App Store

Free on iPhone

Questions

Should I text my crush first?

If you'd like to talk to them, it's usually fine to go first. A light, friendly message is easy to answer and easy to follow up.

Will my crush see the messages I write in the app?

No. They only exist in the app as a contact you made. When you're ready to send the real one, you'll do that in your normal messaging app.