If a man isn't interested in you, he'll display these 16 behaviors

Do you see these signs?

A woman in a white sweater stands outdoors, smiling while looking at her phone. She carries a black bag over her shoulder. The background features a modern building and trees under a clear sky.

Whether you’re dating, in a relationship, or not quite sure what’s going on yet, these 16 behaviors suggest the man you’re investing in just isn’t invested in you.

1. He never contacts you first.

A young woman with long dark hair stands against a light gray wall, looking down at her phone. She is wearing a blue denim jacket over a black top and a light-colored skirt. She appears focused on the device in her hands.

When we like someone, we all try to play it cool, but most of us tend to fail, whether male or female.

If a man likes you, he’ll be really keen to talk to you, and contact you whenever he’s got a spare minute.

If he likes you, you’ll be on his mind, and he’ll want to know if he’s on yours.

But if it’s always you who’s making contact first, that’s a sign that whilst he’s happy to chat to you if you initiate things, he’s not keen enough to spend time with you.

2. He makes you wait.

A woman in a striped shirt sits on a bench, holding a phone and looking thoughtful. The background shows a blurry cityscape with colorful lights at night, visible through a transparent barrier.

Okay, so there’s always a chance that he might just be deluded enough to think that ‘playing it cool’ is going to work, and that if he waits long periods before returning your texts, you won’t be able to resist his charms.

And there might be all kinds of other excuses.

But, basically, if he’s consistently trying to play hard to get by waiting for hours or days before responding to your messages, even when he’s read them, he is probably losing interest or just doesn’t want to talk to you all that much.

3. He cancels repeatedly.

A woman with long brown hair, wearing a light green shirt, leans against a gray marble wall, looking slightly upward with a contemplative expression. She has multiple ear piercings and is outdoors with a blurred urban background.

If a man is genuinely interested, he will look forward to being with you.

If a man tells you one excuse after another every time you talk about meeting up, then start to wonder why.

A truly interested man will find time, or if he cannot make it on a date, he will propose an alternative schedule.

But if he’s canceling on you repeatedly and not making sure to reschedule for the very next possible opportunity, that’s a clear sign that this man has lost interest.

4. He blows hot and cold.

A couple sits closely together on a sandy beach. The woman, wearing a white dress, smiles brightly while looking up at the man, who is in a striped shirt and has his arm around her shoulders. They appear happy and content, surrounded by rippled sand patterns.

His behavior is inconsistent. One minute he seems super interested in you and is really affectionate, and the next he avoids any physical contact or displays cold body language.

Chances are that the keen moments occur when he’s feeling lonely or insecure, and when he’s back on an even keel you’ve served your purpose, until the next time his ego needs massaging.

If he’s trying to repeatedly pick you up and drop you, this is a major red flag.

5. You’re always the one making plans.

A young woman with long dark hair sits outdoors at a table, smiling and looking to her right while talking on a mobile phone. She is wearing a light pink sweater, and the background is softly blurred, suggesting an urban setting with buildings and greenery.

Just as you’re always the one texting him first, you’re always the one to suggest that the two of you should do something together.

He’s happy to agree if he’s not got other plans, but he’s not going to make an effort to organize things with you or think of ideas for dates you might enjoy.

6. He’s a flirt with other women.

A group of young adults is enjoying an outdoor gathering at sunset, holding drinks and smiling. The warm light of the setting sun illuminates their faces as they converse. Trees and a scenic landscape are visible in the background.

If he’s charmed you with his flirting skills and confidence, chances are he wouldn’t be shy about asking you out, making physical contact, or telling you how he felt about you.

So, if he’s not doing either of those things, or he shows interest in other women, you’re safe to assume that he was just flirting with you, without any intention of taking it any further.

7. He’s never shown a shred of jealousy.

A man and woman are sitting indoors, talking and smiling at each other. The woman is holding a white mug, while the man is sitting on a bed. Soft, natural light is streaming in through a window, and there are lens flare effects in the image.

Now of course, the last thing you want is to get involved with a jealous and possessive man. The type that’s going to try to control you, or is incapable of trusting you. Just no.

But, a little bit of jealousy here and there is a very good sign.

After all, in the same way you see a man you’re dating or in a relationship with talking to other women or hear him mention an ex, you’re probably going to feel at least a little bit jealous.

If you want to test the waters to see if this man is into you or not, you could try mentioning that you’re going for lunch with your best man friend or talk about other men, and then watch what his reaction is.

8. He breadcrumbs you.

A man with dark hair and a beard is sitting in a stylishly furnished room, looking down at his smartphone. He is dressed in a dark blazer, white shirt, and light gray trousers, with a red pocket square. Shelves filled with various items are in the background.

Breadcrumbing is when a person doesn’t seem to be interested in you but still wants to have someone around for moments when they need company. They want someone on the back burner.

An excellent example of this is if he tends to watch your Instagram stories or like your posts online to make sure that you’re still thinking about him, with minimum effort on his part, whilst never actually properly getting in touch with you.

9. You don’t get his full attention.

A woman in a white shirt is drinking red wine while sitting at a restaurant table with a man in a beige sweatshirt who is using chopsticks to eat sushi. Several pieces of sushi and a small dish are on the table in front of them.

When you’re together, he avoids eye contact or his body language is cold and evasive.

He’s always got one eye on his phone or is looking over your shoulder at someone else.

Everyone can seem distracted now and again if they’ve got something big going on in their life taking up their head space.

But if they consistently don’t seem to be paying attention or really be in the room when you’re together, it is another sign that this man is not interested.

10. He keeps you separate from his friends.

A man and woman sit at a table in a brightly lit cafe, engaged in conversation. The man, wearing a brown coat and scarf, holds a coffee cup. The woman, with a long braid and in a white jacket, listens attentively. Yellow chairs are visible in the foreground.

He has neither bothered to introduce you to anyone that’s important to him or made an effort to meet any of your best friends.

If he seems to make an effort to keep you separate from his friends and hasn’t shown any curiosity to meet the mates that you’re constantly telling stories about, he’s probably not planning on a long-term relationship.

11. He is not keen on talking about your relationship status.

A woman with long brown hair and wearing a white lace-top is sitting on a couch, attentively listening to a man with short brown hair and wearing a green shirt, who is turned away from the camera. They are in a living room with shelves and home decor in the background.

A man who is truly interested will move forward to take your relationship to the next level.

He’ll not hesitate to post pictures of the two of you on social media, unless he is the type of guy who really does not post about his woman or relationships in the past.

But if he has not done this, this is a warning sign.

12. You don’t really know anything about him.

A woman with long curly hair, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and red lipstick, gazes at a man under an umbrella on a rainy day. The man has a beard and is facing her, with only the back of his head visible.

If he hasn’t opened up to you about his feelings or about his personal life at all, that’s not a good sign. He keeps conversation superficial, and you’re yet to see any cracks in his armor.

13. And he doesn’t really know anything about you.

Two people are seated at a table in a cozy café. The woman on the left has curly hair and is resting her face on her hands, looking down and appearing thoughtful. The man on the right has a beard and is holding a cup while looking contemplative.

He doesn’t know anything about you because he hasn’t asked. This is a red flag that he’s not interested.

He doesn’t remember the things you’ve volunteered about yourself, either, like your family, your interests.

Conversation tends to be pretty banal and focused around him, with him expressing no interest in your day or life events.

14. He’s told you that he’s not looking for a relationship.

A woman with wavy hair and glasses, wearing a pink jacket, smiles while holding a to-go coffee cup and sitting at an outdoor café table across from a man in a green jacket and brown hat, who also has a to-go coffee cup.

Yes, I know, people sometimes aren’t looking for relationships but suddenly meet the one and fall in love anyway.

But that doesn’t happen very often. More often than not, if he’s not looking for a relationship, it doesn’t matter how amazing you are, you’re not going to change his mind.

Other warning signs are if he tells you that he just wants to see where things go, or that he’s focusing on his career right now, or that he wants to work on your friendship before taking things to the next level, blah, blah blah.

He might even believe that this stuff is true, but if he really liked you then none of that would matter that much.

15. Your relationship is pretty much entirely based on physical intimacy.

A couple lies on a bed, facing each other and smiling. The man has a beard and is wearing a gray shirt, while the woman, who has blonde hair, is in a black top. They are embracing each other lovingly.

You never see each other if physical intimacy isn’t involved. Most of your interactions occur late at night. And, the intimacy is pretty centered on his needs, not on yours.

16. You just know it.

A woman with long dark hair looks pensive, resting her head on her clasped hands. She sits on a gray sofa, wearing a light gray top, with a blurred background suggesting a home setting.

If all signs show that this man is not interested and not truly invested in you, then do not show desperation and just leave him well alone.

If something deep down inside you is telling you that he doesn’t like you like that, then he probably doesn’t like you like that.

Don’t squash those feelings down. Listen to what your gut is trying to tell you, and move on before you get hurt.

It’s probably not going to be easy, but in a few months you’ll look back and thank god you didn’t waste any more of your energy on him, and find it hard to remember what you ever liked about him anyway.