How To Get Someone To Stop Texting You When They Won’t Take The Hint

When you’ve decided that you’re done talking to a friend or someone you’re dating forever, sometimes it can be hard to walk away. You don’t necessarily want to be rude, but you also want them to leave you alone. Dropping hints works well for some people, but other times, they’re just not picking up what you’re putting down. So, how do you get someone to stop texting you once and for all?

1. Ignore them. It goes without saying that you shouldn’t respond. If you’re trying to cut off contact, keeping it going is sending the opposite message, so to speak. Whenever they message you, even if they say something provocative or meant to prompt a reaction, ignore them. This may eventually discourage them from continuing to try to reach out.
2. Pretend they got the wrong number. If you want someone to stop texting you and they’re not taking the hint, this is an option. It’s exactly like it sounds. They text you, and you respond with puzzlement/confusion. Something like: “Who is this? Sorry, I think you have the wrong number…” should do the trick. If they ask for you by name, say you’re someone else. They might wonder what the hell happened, but they shouldn’t bother you anymore.
3. Tell them you’re too busy to talk to them. Granted, this is only a temporary fix, but it’s one worth trying. Tell them you have a massive, multi-month project at work that’s taking up all your time. While you’ll eventually be done, they don’t have to know that. Maybe it goes on forever and ever! Sorry, can’t talk anymore! Keep in mind this may be one of the less successful methods long-term..
4. Tell them you’re in a relationship. This is a great way to get someone to stop texting you. While they might wonder why you never said anything sooner, you can say it was a recent thing. Or, maybe you didn’t know how to break their heart. Unless they’re completely disrespectful and lack boundaries, they should disappear pretty quickly.
5. Ask your friends for help. If the person who’s texting you is someone with whom you have mutual friends, use it to your advantage. Talk to them about what’s going on. Then, ask them to intervene. You’re not asking them to solve your problems. However, you are asking for their help. Maybe they can tell this person that they need to leave you alone. And, since it’s coming from outsiders, they might actually listen.
6. Send them an error message. If you’re a bit of a smart alec and you’re feeling a little sassy, try this. When you get a message from this person, just respond with some kind of error. “Error 9802: The number you are texting is no longer in service” could work. Be creative, but just make sure to keep it realistic.
7. Reply pretending to be someone else. You could always respond and pretend to be your boyfriend or girlfriend. If telling them you’re in a relationship doesn’t fly, replying as that fictional partner might. Don’t be threatening or act like a jerk, but talk to them man to man (or woman to woman, or person to person) and tell them to back off. This may get you the desired result.

You could also…

1. Block them. This is probably the easiest way to cut someone off. Granted, it’s a bit rude since it’s akin to ghosting, but sometimes, needs must. If every other method fails, you may have bite the bullet and block them from contacting you in any way.
2. Tell them you’re moving out of the country. Yes, this is a little “15 Yemen Road, Yemen” (props if you get the reference), but sometimes it’s necessary. If you’re trying to get someone to text you, sometimes you have to go to extreme lengths to make it happen. Tell them you’re leaving the country. For good. There’s no sense in continuing to talk, is there?
3. Contact the police if they won’t stop. If you feel like you’re in danger in any way or that the person may harm you or themselves, talk to the authorities. You don’t have to deal with this alone and you definitely shouldn’t. The police have the power to intervene in these situations. They can put measures in place to protect you, such as granting a restraining order.
4. Try out a number-blocking app. Apps like TrueCaller make it so that you can filter out calls and texts from unwanted numbers with ease. Also, check out any inbuilt features your iPhone or Android device may have. Their anti-spam measures may come in handy when dealing with that person who won’t leave you alone.
5. Change your number. This is a somewhat annoying way to get someone to stop texting you since it requires a lot of effort on your part. You’d have to organize a number change with the phone company, then let everyone know you’ve changed your number. Some texts and calls you do want to receive may fall by the wayside until everyone makes the transition. However, there’s no denying it’s effectiveness.
6. Don’t even open their messages. You might not think reading their drivel is a big deal, but it can be problematic. For instance, if they have read receipts on, they’ll be able to see that you read their text and that you’re just ignoring them. To make your life easier, don’t even look at their texts at all. See if you can filter the one-way conversation into a kind of junk archive so you don’t even have to see them come in.
7. Tell them outright to stop. Being direct is always a good thing. A surefire way to get someone to stop texting you — someone who’s courteous and who knows when they’re not wanted — is to tell them to stop. Let them know that for whatever reason, you no longer want to talk to them or hear from them. That should put an end to things. Hopefully.