Full Guide: How to Respond to Hey in 2025

1. Send Hey Back

The simplest way to reply to a Hey text is to return the gesture. When you send a hey, it shows the other person you're cool and casual because you're returning their energy, and that can be the beginning of a long conversation. It will most likely lead to a 'how are you doing?'

2. Send a Hi

Hi is a the texting equivalent of hey. It's also a simple way to respond to the first message. When you reply to a hey text with a 'hi', it shows that you acknowledge the other person who has spoken and is ready to hear what they have to say.

3. Ask How It’s Going

'How's it going?' is a great conversation starter because it spells your interest in the other person's routine for the day. Unlike yes/no questions, it prompts the other person to talk about their ongoing experience with their tasks or why they hit you up.

4. Send a Clickbait Reply

A clickbait reply is a fun question that arouses curiosity in the reader. It captures their interest and keeps them starving for the full gist. You commonly see them on news blogs, but you can use them when texting. Here's a classic example of a clickbait reply: Hey [Sender's name], do you know what makes you interesting?”

5. Use Sarcasm

Sarcasm and witty words is a brilliant way to joke about someone's comment. Funny tinder openers are almost garaunteed to work. But how you use these words in a conversation determines whether the other person takes it as a joke or an insult. The sender's perspective matters too. If you're lucky, you'll find someone who has a great sense of humor. A classic example of a witty response to 'hey' is: "Wow! You must have saved a lot of browsing data shortening it to three letters."

6. Mention Their Names as You Ask About Their Welfare

One most inspiring thing to do if you want to make the other individual feel special is to call them by their name. A person's name is a part of who they are. It has a significant impact not only on the person's individuality but also on other people's perceptions of that person. By using someone's name, we show respect for their identity and interest in becoming familiar with them.

7. Tell Them You’re Glad to Hear From Them

How's your reaction to appreciation. Even for the smallest favors, appreciation from other people creates positive feelings. Using a reply like 'Good morning [Sender's name], it feels nice to hear from you today' shows your close friend that they are valued.

8. Ask Specific Questions Based on Their Profile Information

Asking questions based on the sender's profile information shows that you must have surveyed their profile and found them interesting. It could also mean that you both have similar interests. Next time someone hits you up with a hey text, use this approach and expect an enthusiastic response from them.

9. Express Your Surprise

If you haven't heard from the text sender for a long time, you may express surprise over their reappearance to let them know that you're glad they reached out. You can reply with 'Good morning. What a pleasant surprise to hear from you!. Your friend will be happy!

1. Simply Ignore the Text

Ignoring a text is one of the most mature approach to discourage the sender from texting further. If you leave the text unread, they won't feel there's any use to text until you see the one they've sent already. Leaving it read tells the sender that you've seen their message but are not interested in having a conversation.

While its often hard to understand who messages first, the first message definitely shouldn't be "hey".

2. Ask 'What Do You Want?'

'What do you want?' is a rude way to respond to anyone. It either tells them that they should go straight to the point or that the timing isn't right. It also indicates that you will only attend to a meaningful message.

3. Tell Them You’re Busy

'I'm busy' is a brilliant reply to unwanted messages because the receiver may not be able to determine if you're truly occupied or dismissing them politely. Well, it depends on how you say it. 'Sorry I'm busy' says that now is not a good time, while 'I'm busy' emphasizes your disinterest in their text messages.

4. Reply With a ‘Yes?’

Replying with a similar three-letter word as they sent you in the first place shows you're a bit rude and unsatisfied with their approach. It also signifies that they should keep the conversation short go straight to the point as you have no time for small talk.

5. Tell Them You Don’t Feel Like Talking at the Moment

This reply is one of the politest ways to dismiss the other party. It tells them you've got other serious stuff going (maybe an annoying co-worker) on and would rather handle that than get involved with cheap talk. They'll most likely leave you be than push any further.

6. Respond Slowly

Slow replies kill the vibe in any conversation. If you consistently delay your responses by a few minutes, the other person will eventually get bored and give up the effort since their energy doesn't match yours. Using this approach gives you deniability as you can blame slow WI-FI.

7. Remind Them That It’s Pretty Late

If the night is already far spent, reminding the sender that they haven't caught you in a timely manner can trigger any one of these two reactions. They'll acknowledge that it's truly late and you're super tired. Secondly, they'll understand that you don't want to talk as you're still online but not online for them.

8. Tell Them to Leave You Alone

Perhaps the sender has persistently sent a string of messages that don't seat well with you. As a last resort, tell them plainly to leave you alone and make them understand that the next disturbance will lead to blocking.