It’s nothing extraordinary for you to send snaps to your friends. It’s as common as macaroni in Naples, as the great Charles Dickens wrote.
What is extraordinary is when you don’t get a response, especially if it’s your boyfriend.
And, on top of it, you can see that he opened your Snapchat. You thought things are going great in your relationship. But why on earth would he not respond?
Was he distracted and then forgot about it? Or was he offended by it somehow? Is he angry at you for reasons unknown to you?
These questions start going around in your head and you find it hard to focus on anything until you know the reason. If you are facing a similar situation and want to find answers to your questions, read on.
In this article, you will find some common reasons why he opened your Snapchat but did not respond. You will also find here tips on how to deal with the situation.
Why did he open your Snapchat but not respond?
Human behavior is not easy to fathom. No two people react to the same situation in the same way. But if you know the person, you can figure out his actions and the thought process behind them.
When he opened your Snapchat but did not respond, the reason can be as simple as no internet connectivity or a technical malfunction. As long as there’s nothing wrong in your relationship, you don’t need to worry.
If you’re still anxious about the situation, check out these plausible reasons.
1. Snapchat failed to work
It can be a connectivity issue due to network loss or a technical issue at the Snapchat end. Or still, his phone may have been low on battery and died before he could respond to your snap. To check if this is the case, send him a text message and see if it’s delivered.
You can ascertain his feelings towards you by reading between the lines. If you get the idea that all is well, there’s no need for you to fret over such a trivial matter. Trust in a relationship involves give and take from both parties. It takes a considerable period to build trust but can be broken in an instant because of such petty behavior.
If you want a long-term relationship with him, learn to overlook minor matters.
2. The time and place were not right to reply
Maybe he was in the middle of something when you posted your snap. He was curious and opened it. He saw what you had sent but thought he would reply later when he is less busy.
This is understandable. All of us do this at some point or the other. Maybe he wants to send you a nice well-thought-out reply rather than a hurried one. You cannot blame him for this. Moreover, when he finds time to send you the reply, you’re going to regret having such thoughts.
Most people reply to a snap with a snap. Sending a text message as a reply would be much easier. To find the right snap to send to you, he needs time and space. Though a bit delayed, his reply would be worth the wait.
3. He had to attend to a call
As soon as he opened your snap, his phone started ringing. If it was someone he can’t avoid, he must have answered his phone. Maybe it was a business call or someone from his family. Or else an old friend called and they continued talking for a while.
After he ended the call and checked for your snap, it had already vanished. Again, his attention was caught up with something else and this entirely slipped out of his mind. Moreover, he didn’t give that much importance to your snap or his failure to respond to it.
You’re upset that he didn’t respond because you put much effort into it. Try to see his perspective and your mind will be at ease.
4. He was taken aback by your snap
If the snap you sent him was quite bold or not something that he would expect from you, the chances are that he was knocked out by it and didn’t know how to respond. He didn’t think of you as the kind of person who would send such images. He certainly wasn’t expecting something like that from you and wasn’t sure about the right response to it.
You need to ask yourself whether you overstepped the boundaries. You may have wanted to surprise him with the snap. But if you’re taking a huge step forward in the relationship, you should have a conversation with him rather than send him such a snap. Or at least take it forward in small easy steps so that he can get used to it.
5. Your snap reminded him of his past
Maybe it was your pose or your expression. Or still, it was something in the background. As soon as he saw your snap, he went back a few years. It reminded him of someone or something else. Maybe it was a pleasant memory or a traumatic one.
Either way, it took him some time to snap out of it. Without thinking he may have left the chat screen and your snap was gone for him.
Though you may not know that your snap would trigger such a reaction in him, it would be unfair to blame him either for not responding. If you know him and his past well, this wouldn’t have happened.
6. He forgot to respond
Though not a desirable trait, many guys are like this. They are forgetful. Their attention never stays in the same place for more than a few seconds. And, this behavior has created trouble for him before but he finds himself in a helpless situation.
Your snap came through when he was in the middle of watching a game. He opened it and saw it. Then something exciting happened in the game and he forgot all about your snap. Or he was with his friends and he got pulled into the conversation and forgot to respond later.
Don’t worry too much about him not responding to your snap. If he usually responds, don’t create a scene. Leave it be this time.
7. He’s ignoring you
He may have had enough to do with you and decided not to respond to you. Maybe he finds you unsuitable to be his partner and wants to cut ties with you. He’s not keen on telling you this straight on but trying to convey this message in a roundabout way by not responding to your snap.
Another reason for your boyfriend ignoring you is that he’s cheating on you. He has moved on and found someone better. Or else he’s using reverse psychology to make you give him more attention. By ignoring you, your curiosity is triggered and you are bound to pay him more attention.
None of the above reasons are good for a healthy relationship. You need to ascertain the exact reason for his behavior and take appropriate action. There’s no point in wasting your time and energy on someone who is not interested in you or values you for who you are.
8. He’s not amused that you sent the image as a snap
If you’re familiar with Snapchat, you should be aware that the snap will disappear as soon as he opens it. He wants to save these images you are sending him. So, he prefers other instant messaging apps like WhatsApp in which he can retain the images forever. From the beginning, he has been asking you not to send him messages on Snapchat.
He has a point there. Why are you sending them as snaps and not on other social media platforms? By not responding to your snap, he’s trying to let you know of his irritation.
There’s another facet to this episode. The fact that you’re sending him snaps is an indication that you don’t trust him enough. Or at least he sees it that way. As he cannot retain the images you share with him on Snapchat, you’re playing it safe.
Are you? If you aren’t, you better switch to other messaging apps. This way, you can reassure him that you trust him.
9. He feels you’re sending the same snaps to others
This may upset him if the image you shared is a personal one. There may be nothing to indicate this is true. But people conjure up stories out of nothing and make a big deal about it.
If he feels this way, he should ask you directly. Instead, he let the thought stew in his mind, making it worse. Maybe he thinks that if he doesn’t respond to your snap, you will understand this is what he’s thinking.
Conversation is the cornerstone of a healthy relationship. If healthy conversations aren’t happening and your boyfriend is making mountains out of molehills, watch out.
10. He’s trying to change his life
He has not been doing well of late, indulging in many unhealthy and undesirable habits. He knows that his life needs an overhaul. It has been a constant slide downward for him in the recent past. To change things, he’s putting a full stop to everything and everyone in his present life. This includes you as well.
He’s sincere about taking a break from everything. He’s not responding to calls or text messages. He uninstalled apps from his phone but inadvertently he forgot about Snapchat. Your snap was delivered and he saw it. He immediately realized that the app was still there. Then without responding to you, he deleted the app.
This is a positive step for him. You need to support him to get better.
11. He’s not active on Snapchat
He has the app and uses it once in a while. He usually never sends anyone snaps. So, when he received yours, he just opened and saw it and left it at that. There is nothing more to this.
As long as he’s active on other messaging apps and social media platforms, you can assume that he’s normal. Maybe he just doesn’t like the format of Snapchat. However, if he’s absent from all these social media platforms, you need to be concerned. Maybe he’s an introvert or a recluse. If this doesn’t fit your requirements for a partner, you should consider parting ways with him.
12. He wants to see your response
He knows very well that if he doesn’t respond to your snap, you will be agitated. He’s just waiting to see how you will respond to his silence. He may be using this as a test to check on the kind of person you are. Will you blow your fuse over this? Or try to have a sensible conversation about it?
This cat-and-mouse game that he’s playing with you may be too much for you to put up with. This tactic reveals manipulative tendencies in your boyfriend. Be wary of how your relationship is going forward.
13. He’s too shy to respond
He’s not used to girls sending him snaps like the one you shared. So, he may not be used to sending appropriate responses to such snaps. He may be confused and lost. So, he ultimately decides to not do anything. He doesn’t respond.
If your boyfriend belongs to this category, he may need some help from you to get rid of shyness and become bolder. There may be nothing wrong with him other than he’s naive and inexperienced. Don’t corner him for not responding to your snap. Try to be understanding and help him improve. Maybe you can send him a question or a prompt so that it will be easier for him to respond.
What can you do when your boyfriend opens your Snapchat but doesn’t respond?
Maybe it is nothing or maybe it means everything. Whatever it is, don’t jump to conclusions. Take it easy and observe his behavior. If he doesn’t have any mal-intentions, try to tell him that his silence made you feel lousy and you expect him to respond.
If he continues the same way, it’s time you reconsider your relationship with him.
Here are a few suggestions for you.
- Talk to him about how his unresponsiveness made you feel.
- Desist from sending him more snaps until there’s more clarity.
- Try to understand why you’re so angry that he didn’t respond.
- Don’t say or do anything that will harm your self-respect.
- If he actually ghosted you, stop sending him snaps.
- Let him know how his silence made you feel.
- Give him one more chance and send him another snap after a couple of days.
- If he seems not interested in you, leave him.
- Let bygones be bygones.
The Bottom Line
Your boyfriend may have many reasons for not responding to your Snapchat. It may mean nothing to your relationship or everything. If he’s cheating and doesn’t want to have a face-to-face talk with you, this is one way for him to let you know that he isn’t interested in you.
If it’s a one-time occurrence, leave it be. But if your boyfriend makes this a habit, it’s worth investigating.
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