All relationships require work. Sometimes a guy will decide the relationship isn't worth the hassle, so he'll stop putting in the required effort. Of course, this leads to the deterioration of the relationship, but once he's made up his mind to let things go, there's nothing anyone can do to stop him. So, how can a girl tell if he's losing interest and what can she do about it? To be honest, there's little she can do about it - no one can force another person to stick around. That said, what she can do is determine whether he's invested in the relationship or if he's slipping away from her.

When a guy starts to lose interest, he starts to slip up. He makes little mistakes and drops hints here and there. If a girl is paying attention, she'll be able to pick up on those signs immediately, but at the beginning those signals can be explained away and she might not even notice them in the first place!

So what should a woman start paying attention to? Most guys exhibit signs of losing interest via their text messages - especially if they're not living with their partner.

Here are the 15 texts he'll send if he's losing interest, and for an added bonus don't forget to scroll down for five texts he'll send to show he's still in love.

20 'K'

Couple
Elle

It's all right for him to respond to a generic question or instructions with a simple "k," but when he starts to respond to the majority of your messages in this way he's starting to pull back.

He isn't making the time or effort to really respond to you, which means he's losing interest. Either he's prioritizing something (or someone!) else above you or his feelings are just fading away and he's losing interest in you. Either way, this bare minimum response is not acceptable from any guy who claims to love you! Talk to him and get to the bottom of why he isn't really texting anymore.

19 No Text Messages At All

Couple
Pinterest

Either he's ghosting you or his phone is broken. There are no other reasons for bae to stop messaging you! If it's for a few hours here and there, it's fine because phones die, people watch movies or they just want a little uninterrupted gaming time. This isn't unusual for a guy who has an active social life; however, if it's been, like, two days and he's still not responding or initiating any messages, something is up.

While no one wants to feel like they've been randomly abandoned, it's also unreasonable to come up with a million excuses for this kind of behavior. The best course of action? Find him IRL and find out what's up.

18 'Don't Worry About It' - But 'It' Is A Big Deal

Couple
Pinterest

If something is bothering you, like to your core, and he's acting all nonchalant about it, there's a problem. If he's trying to play the situation off like it's no big deal, but it's absolutely something you care deeply about, then he's losing interest in you. He's starting to care about other things more than he cares about your feelings, and that's never a good sign.

Guys who are still in love will prioritize whatever bothers their partners. A good guy who is involved in his relationship expects his girl to be comfortable, so if something is bothering her, he should do something about it. Sorry girls, but if he's putting your feelings aside, he's losing interest.

17 Any Ultimatum

Couple
Pinterest

First off, ultimatums shouldn't be a normal thing in a relationship. If things are so off-balance that you or your partner ever feel the need to say, "If you x, I'll y," then things are already falling apart. Healthy couples talk things out and come to a satisfying conclusion.

If he sends you a text telling you to do something or he's going to do something you certainly won't like, he's trying to exert power over you.

These toxic guys do not make good boyfriend material! If he's going to act like a child, then maybe he should go date someone willing to mommy him. Drop him and move on!

16 Vague Responses To Straightforward Questions

Couple
Pinterest

You ask him what time he'll swing by for movie night and he texts something like, "Not sure, I'll let you know." Something is up. Even if he really isn't certain, he should at least have the decency to tell you that he's at work and he's got a lot on his plate so it might be a few more hours, or that he's stuck in traffic so it'll be another 30 minutes or so.

If he can't even give you a bit more information about something specific, something is going on with him and he's not bothering to let you in on it. He's being vague on purpose - and it's not cool.

15 'Bring Me X'

Couple
PNGTree

If the only texts you get from him are requests to bring him things, then he's using you. If you send these long, meaningful messages professing your love for him and he replies with, "Thanks, by the way can you swing by with some chicken wings?" then he's definitely interested in what you can do for him, not how you feel about him.

While he may not respond in such an extreme way, if his responses leave a small pit in your stomach and you feel a little hurt by his constant stream of requests, it's time to recognize he's not really invested in the relationship.

14 'None Of Your Business'

Couple
Pinterest

There's so much to say about this super rude text! First off, he's your man! Of course it's your business! Everything about him is your business, just like everything about you is his! Who does he think he is that he can get away with disrespecting you like this? If you ask about something and his only response is to basically stop sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, then he's making a big mistake.

By sending this kind of text, he's telling you that you aren't important enough to know what's going on in his life - and if you can't see that it's him pulling way back away from you, then you've got bigger problems on your plate.

13 More Than One Or Two Instances In Which He Backs Out Of Plans

Couple
Pinterest

Sometimes unexpected things happen. People get called in to work early or to stay late, there's an unexpected guest visiting from out of town, or there's a family or medical emergency. There are so many reasons why people might need to back out of plans at the last minute, which is normal, it's human.

What isn't normal is when he's backing out on the regular. If you haven't seen him in a few weeks because he keeps making up excuses to not see you via text, he's doing it on purpose. He's lost interest in the relationship and he'd rather make up excuses than be straightforward with you.

12 'Because I Said So'

Couple
Pinterest

Whoa! What did he just text you? "Because I say so??" Who does he think he is? Any guy who avoids an answer and tries to push you around with a "Because I said so" text is an immediate red flag! He's trying to make you accept something or bend to his will just because he thinks you're so head-over-heels for him that he can take advantage of you! Don't be that girl!

Stand strong, demand some real answers, and do whatever it takes to get him to understand you're not going to take his crap. If he thinks you will, he's going to end up single in a hot minute.

11 'It's Your Birthday?'

Couple
Pinterest

Cue heartbreak. What kind of boyfriend doesn't remember your birthday? He could've put it in his calendar and set his phone to send him a reminder a few weeks in advance so he could plan something nice for your birthday, or he could write it down on a calendar the old-fashioned way.

However he reminds himself of important dates, he chose not to do so with your special day. Though some people don't like to make a big deal about their birthdays, if you're not one of them then he's just made a huge mistake. He hurt you pretty badly and that's not okay. Make sure to let him know that.

10 'I Already Made Plans'...With Mutual Friends Without You

Couple
Pinterest

If he's too busy to hang out and you find out later that he was out having fun with your mutual friends without you, then open your eyes! The relationship is a giant red flag! Why would he want to have fun without you in the first place? Why would he go out with mutual friends and not a single person cued you in? Why would everyone exclude you? There's only one answer: they legit didn't want you there.

Why would they do that? Because there's something up and you need to get some answers or your boyfriend straight-up said he wanted to hang without you this time. Either way, you need to figure out what's up before a breakup happens.

9 'Trust Me'

Couple
Pinterest

This isn't some scene from Aladdin where you're about to go on a magic carpet ride - if he's refusing to give you answers and simply asks if you trust him, then he's hiding something and he's banking on you being cool with just standing back, trusting he would never hurt you.

If this happens around Christmas, your birthday, Valentine's Day or another significant holiday, then it's cool to leave him a little wiggle room, but the rest of the time he'd better believe you deserve to be in the know! If he's acting kind of sneaky and hits you with a "trust me" text, it's time to do some investigating.

8 'She's Just A Friend' - But He's Talking/Texting Her All The Time

Couple
Pinterest

It's cool, friends do like to keep in contact, but unless she's an old friend who talked to him regularly prior to your relationship, things are a little fishy. If she's been around for all of five minutes and he can't seem to leave her alone and vice versa, there's something up. He needs to recognize how his behavior makes you feel and if he ignores your feelings or tries to tell you not to worry about it (yet continues to contact her all the time), then he's already lost interest.

He can't have his cake and eat it too - either choose to fight for the relationship or cut him loose. Either way it's gonna be pretty painful so be prepared.

7 'Don't Freak Out, But [Insert Bad Thing He Did]'

Couple
Pinterest

He shouldn't be doing bad things. Neither should you. Nobody should be doing bad things! Period! However, if he's coming to you to say he did something, it can be taken in two different ways: He's trying to come clean and is begging for forgiveness, or he knows you're going to find out eventually and would rather be the messenger than have you find out from someone else.

Either way, you're not going to be happy with what he did. He didn't even have the courage to tell you face-to-face! He's either starting to lose interest or he's lost it entirely, otherwise he wouldn't have done anything to jeopardize the relationship.

6 'We Need To Talk'

Couple
Pinterest

This is perhaps the ultimate "oh no" text message to get from someone. It immediately launches the receiver of such a message into a small panic. "What did I do? What did you do? Are we about to break up? What's going on? Why do we have to talk?"

These messages have cruel reputations and are among the oldest in the proverbial breakup book. He knows this because everyone knows how sharp these words can be. If he sends you a message saying "We need to talk" you might as well count the relationship as over. He's lost interest or has become more interested in someone else. Either way, be prepared for some heartbreak.

5 He's Still In Love: 'Good Morning'

Couple
Glamour UK

A "Good morning" text is among the most important messages a man in love can ever send. This seemingly simple message is actually code for "you're the first person I think of when I wake up." He's saying hello because he can't wait to talk to you! If you've ever seen anyone in love, you'll know that they can't stay apart for very long and they're so excited to see each other!

If your man is messaging you good morning texts, even if it isn't every single day, it means he's still in love with you. His feelings won't be fading anytime soon.

4 He's Smitten: How Are You?

Couple
Instagram

It might seem kind of boring, but a simple "How are you?" text is actually really revealing. He's interested in more than just everyday "whatcha up to" type messages. By asking you how you're doing, he's saying he's interested in what's going on with you emotionally. It's a rare man indeed who bothers to ask how you're doing in general.

This is just one of many ways in which he's showing how much he cares. Guaranteed, if your man randomly asks how you're doing, he's not just in love with you - he's unable to stay away! Just remember to text him back to show you care too.

3 He's Head-Over-Heels: 'What Are You Thinking About?'

Couple
Instagram

Guys don't randomly ask their girls what they're thinking just because. He legitimately wants to know what's on your mind! Everything about you interests him and at this point he's probably already learned everything he possibly could about your life up to this point, so now it's time to concentrate on investigating what you're thinking about! It'll give him a little more insight into your personality, your concerns and your interests.

While you don't have to go all-out and describe every little thought, it's always a comfort to know that if you ever have anything on your mind you can safely approach him and he'll actually listen.

2 Boy's In Love: 'I Can't Wait To See You'

Couple
Pinterest

When a man messages you, "I can't wait to see you!" he's not just joking around - he seriously can't wait. He's got you on his mind and he's so excited he can't hold back! Before you two are going to meet for a date, he's rushing home to shower and get all dressed up. He's applying your favorite cologne and he's double-checking himself in the mirror. He can't hold back his excitement and his feelings are nearly pouring out of his soul!

No man will ever tell you he can't wait to see you unless he means it, so bask in his love and make sure to give some back too.

1 He's All Yours: 'I Love You'

Couple
Pinteret

Any guy who says he loves you probably means it! If he's constantly telling you how he feels, it might not be as genuine as it should be, but for a man who tells you every now and then, in person and via text, he means it. It's especially apparent he's still genuinely in love when he sends these little "I love you" reminder texts at random times.

If you're having a stressful week, he'll take the time to remind you that while the rest of the world is falling apart, he's there for you and he's loving you with all his heart regardless. Don't take his words for granted - he really does love you.

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