How to Reply to "Hey" on Dating Apps

He Sent "Hey." Now What?

"Hey" is the most common and least creative opening on dating apps. It puts all the conversational work on you. But if his profile looks interesting, a lazy opener does not have to kill the conversation.

Why people send "hey"

• Low effort, high volume: He is sending it to 20 people and seeing who bites.
• He does not know what to say: Some people genuinely struggle with openers. Not everyone is good at starting conversations.
• He is testing the waters: A low-investment message to see if you are interested before putting in more effort.

Replies That Actually Work

Redirect to his profile

"Hey! I saw you [something specific from his profile]. Tell me more about that." This signals interest while making him do the talking.

Be direct and playful

"Hey yourself. You get one chance to impress me -- go." Bold, but it filters out low-effort people immediately.

Ask something unexpected

"Hey! Quick question: what is the last thing you cooked from scratch?" Unexpected questions get unexpected (and usually better) replies.

When to Skip "Hey" Entirely

If his profile has nothing interesting and his opener is just "hey," he has given you nothing to work with. It is OK to not reply. Your time and energy have value. Spend them on someone who shows effort.

Not sure what his text means? Paste it above -- AI decodes it in seconds.