Home Editor Picks 20 Perfect Texts To Send When A Ghoster Magically Reappears

20 Perfect Texts To Send When A Ghoster Magically Reappears

Trista Smith September 3, 2024

Ever have a bad breakup? Perhaps you and a friend had a falling out. Maybe you needed closure but didn’t get any. No one likes being ghosted. Not replying to texts can leave people with a sense of regret as well as emptiness. Some hold out for hope that they’ll return, while others decide to move on with their lives and forget about that person.

But what do you do when that person suddenly comes back into your life? The shock of the return can leave you feeling confused. What is the best way to respond to a ghost text months later? Maybe you want to ghost someone in return so they leave you alone. Here are 20 expert-approved text messages you can send to get the answers and the closure you finally need.

20. “So you didn’t lose your phone?”

This is an interesting way to respond because it puts the onus on the other person for not answering you. It’s you haven’t gotten a reply, the only reasonable explanation is that that person lost their phone; the fact that they didn’t lose their phone forces them to explain why they’ve left you on read for so long.

Ghosting is always rude no matter what your reasons are. But if you’re willing to give the other person a second chance, this kind of message will keep things light and fun if you want to rekindle where you left off. Don’t hold out hope, though. If they ghost you again, it’s probably time to move on.

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19. “I wish you all the best.”

Even if the other person has apologized, this is a good way for you to end things guilt-free. It demonstrates that you want nothing to do with them but that you’re also not holding a grudge. You’re just not interested in keeping them in your life any longer. With this kind of message, maybe they’ll even grow up and not do this to someone else.

According to Dr. Joy Heafner, a licensed marriage and family therapist, this kind of message is kind in nature, but it’s obvious what your intentions are. There’s no leading anyone on about potential interactions in the future. You’ve told them where your boundaries are and that they should know better than to cross them.

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18. “It’s good to hear from you! Want to chat over video?”

Here’s an interesting way to restart the conversation. Because they left you on read, this demonstrates that you’re not going to take any of their crap anymore and that you want to talk to them immediately. It means that you’re keeping the ball in your court so that they don’t have the option to ignore you again.

On the off chance that they agree to the call, you can ask all the questions you want face-to-face so they don’t have the opportunity to lie to you or ignore you. It’s an excellent way to gauge if they’re interested in hanging out with you or if they’re only using you.

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17. “Ah, a zombie!”

If this one doesn’t put a smile on your sender’s face, nothing will. It may show that you have no hard feelings, but it also definitely puts them on the spot for not responding for so long to the point that you thought they were dead.

It’s a good, cute way to start a serious conversation. They’ll probably even feel more comfortable explaining to you why they disappeared. Hey, it could be worse.

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16. “What prompted you to reach out?”

Nothing’s wrong with pointing out the elephant in the room; it tells them that you’re not willing just to let some things slide. Stephanie Michelle, a life coach, states that this is a call-to-action for the other person to explain exactly why they haven’t responded to you.

It also cuts through the crap as to why they’re talking to you now after so long. Is this person messaging you again because they want something from you other than the pleasure of your company? If so, then you probably shouldn’t waste your time with them any longer.

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15. “This seems like a recurring theme.”

If this isn’t the first time they’ve ghosted you, then it might be time to call out their actions. Letting them know that you’ve noticed this is repeat behavior for them, they can choose to do one of two things: change or not. They could decide to change for the better and respect your time, or they could stay the same.

If they only want to be present in your life when it’s convenient for them, that’s not the kind of person you want in your life. Don’t become emotionally attached to someone who doesn’t care enough to be a reliable communicator.

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14. “Why are you texting me?”

Some people have the terrible habit of going through their contacts list and texting everyone because they don’t remember who is in their address book. To them, this may seem like a good idea at the time, but when you’re the one who has been ghosted, it can feel like you’re just a pawn in their game.

Instead of trying to feed their ego, you can jump right to the get-go and ask them why they’re texting you. It’s straightforward and doesn’t leave the person any room to make excuses. It’s also an excellent way to test to see if they actually remember you at all or if you’re just another statistic in their contacts list.

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13. “Who’s this?”

Just two words can be enough to insult someone. If they didn’t care enough to remember you, why should you expend any energy trying to remember them? They will get an inkling of what it’s like to be ignored or forgotten, and that could even humble them enough to apologize.

Bruise their ego a little bit so that they don’t continue to believe that they’re at the center of everyone’s universe. Sending them the message that you’ve on from them will make them think twice about treating another person like that ever again (hopefully).

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12. “Can I help you?”

One way to ensure that you’re not being used is to ask the ghoster what they want from you. By asking this question, they may choose not to answer, which gives you exactly the answer you’re looking for so you can move on, or they’ll give you the truth. On the other hand, they might also try to lie to you and say that they want to rekindle things.

It’s up to you if you wish to take that chance or not, but it’s probably best that you only give them a second chance. If they ghost you again, it’s time to let them go for good.

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11. “I’m going to need an explanation.”

The first time you were ghosted, you probably stayed up at night wondering what happened to your ghoster. You probably assumed that they were in trouble or that something terrible had happened to them. It might have also crossed your mind that something must be wrong with you and that’s why they’re no longer talking to you.

Alternatively, it’s much simpler: the person who ghosted you is just a jerk. This request opens up that conversation to explain, but at the same time, has a tone to it that doesn’t leave any room for error. If they know what’s good for them, they’re not going to lie to you and will tell you the truth.

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10. “I have a spare charger since it seems like you lost yours.”

Here’s a more brutal way to go about it, but it lets them know that you’re not happy with being ghosted. The only option you’ve given them is to explain their absence, and if they can’t, don’t give them a chance to try and weasel themselves back into your life.

On the other hand, they might also take this kind of text message as a light-hearted joke. Regardless of how your ex or whoever else takes it, they’ll hopefully give you the answers that you’re looking for instead of continuing to jerk you around.

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9. “I’m going to need an apology.”

It may feel good to make the ghoster beg for your attention, but demanding that they apologize will give you the quickest answer as to whether they’re worth your time or not. After all, this person did leave you high and dry, feeling emotionally abandoned when you thought you had something serious going on.

So if they do apologize, that’s great. How you move on from there is up to you. However, if they refuse to apologize, then delete their number from your phone and block them. Your ex or whoever else is not worth your time anymore.

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8. “Please stop wasting my time.”

It’s not very fulfilling to be the only one putting in the effort and getting nothing back. It becomes a one-sided, parasitic relationship where you don’t gain any benefits from the arrangement. What you do deserve is to have someone who will, at least, put in the effort to text you back promptly. This text response is one way of putting your foot down and demanding that they treat you with some respect of you and your time.

Tell them that you’re no longer interested in continuing the pattern you’ve been living in and want to break the cycle. By taking the initiative for yourself, you can spend more time looking for someone who will actually value your time.

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7. “I see the aliens brought you back to Earth.”

Here’s a fun way to open the door just a crack to see who’s on the other side and how they will react. There’s some sass to the statement too so that they know you’re not in the mood to be messed with. Maybe they’ll get a chuckle out of it, but they should know that there’s no way they’re going to get out of the conversation unscathed.

Of course, these kinds of messages only work on someone who has a sense of humor. However, let’s be fair: if someone who ghosted you can’t take a joke, then they probably weren’t worth having in your life anyway.

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6. “Did you mean to text me?”

Mistakes do happen, and we sometimes end up sending a message to the wrong person. If that happens, it can be confusing to try and explain yourself, especially if the message is very personal. So sending this test will clear the air and ensure that they didn’t send the message to the wrong person.

It saves you from having to get your hopes up. Of course, it could be that they did mean to text you, which means that they have a lot of explaining to do, as well as offering you an apology. Either way, at least you’re giving them a chance to explain before you decide whether to dump them for good or not.

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5. “How have you been? I got worried.”

There’s nothing more satisfying than making someone feel guilty for the wrongs they’ve done to you. On the other hand, if you were genuinely worried about them, then letting them know will still make them feel guilty because their inaction was causing you pain.

Furthermore, that guilt might make them rethink their actions in the future. It’s a very neutral, open-minded text, too, that doesn’t place any blame one way or the other. It lets your ghoster know how you’re feeling and leaves things open-ended for them to fill in the blanks for you.

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4. “Ghosting is a huge red flag for me.”

This is a step removed from neutral and open-ended; it’s a demand for them not to waste your time ever again and lets them know how upset you are. You deserve to have your time respected, which means not leaving your messages on “read” for long periods.

Being brutally honest eliminates the opportunity for them to try and sweet talk you back into their good graces. It also makes them notice that their behavior is unacceptable and that they should quit their ghosting habit before someone else gets upset with them.

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3. “Sorry. You were fun, but I need consistent communication.”

Here is a great way to stop further communication if you’re not interested in your ghoster texting you anymore. It puts them on the spot, highlighting their bad behavior, and lets them know that you’re not interested in being toyed with. It also establishes boundaries so that they know not to cross them again if they’re smart.

Letting someone know your expectations will make it easier for you to know who actually respects you and your time and who is only interested in playing a game.

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2. The Ghost Emoji

It’s short, it’s simple, and there’s only one meaning it conveys. The ghoster will know what they did and will either try to explain or realize that they’re in hot water with you. If your ex or whoever is silly enough to ask why you sent it, then you can take center stage. Explain to this person what they’ve done and how it hurt you.

It’s a good fallback when you don’t know how to put the right words together or are afraid of coming across as too harsh. You just find the ghost emoji and hit send, nothing else. Either way, you’re letting them know that their behavior was unacceptable.

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1. No Response At All

It’s one thing to try and formulate the best text response ever, but sometimes the best revenge is saying nothing at all. By ghosting this person in return, you’re showing them what it feels like. More than likely, they’ll keep messaging you for a while, but if you’re persistent enough, they’ll give up. Please don’t give them the pleasure of your time when they didn’t honor it in the first place.

Remember that nothing is requiring you to respond to them. Your ex or others don’t deserve your time and energy and have already shown that they have no problems ignoring you when they have other things on their mind. There’s nothing wrong with treating them the same way.

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