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Improve your textiquette: dos & don'ts of the texting world

28/01/2019 - How tos

We surveyed 1,000 Britons regarding their texting habits and preferences and discovered some interesting statistics about the texting habits that really put Britons off.

Are you guilty of reading a text and not replying? Ever received a message but waited for hours before responding to someone?

Well, if you have, then you’re guilty of breaking the textiquette rules.

And to help make sure you don’t break the textiquette rules again, we’ve put together a list of Do’s and Don'ts, alongside some useful tips, to help.

We surveyed 1,000 Britons regarding their texting habits and preferences and discovered some interesting statistics about the texting habits that really put Britons off.

Great British textiquette

So, are all Britons angry if they’re ‘left on read’, or do they not mind if they’re left waiting for a reply?

Well, the survey found that 46% of Britons are most likely to read a message but wait a while to reply, depending on how inconvenient the timing is, or simply if they can't be bothered.

However, 36% said they would text back straight away, so they don’t look rude to the person that messaged them. On the other end of the scale, 3% claimed they were not likely to reply to anyone that messaged them!

But what about the timescale of texting someone back?

Most Britons surveyed said they’d wait up to 12 hours before considering a message they’ve sent - and has been read by the recipient without a reply - as rude.

44% of Brits also revealed they have sent someone a text and thought it was rude when they never received a reply. When it comes to pet peeves, reading a text and never replying is the number one pet hate about messaging (38%).

And when it comes to ‘leaving people on read’, the type of person those surveyed said they are least likely to reply to is those they don’t know (34%).

The textiquette rules of dating

So, do the rules change when you’re texting a potential love interest?  

When dating someone new, almost a third (30%) of Brits claimed they will text back within an hour, with 24% claiming they’d respond in less than 20 minutes, and 17% admitting they’d reply within five minutes or less.

But 1% of Brits would leave their potential partner on read for 30 days or more.

Interestingly, it was the single people surveyed that are most likely to think not receiving a reply is rude (51%); while those that are married, in a civil partnership, cohabiting, or in a relationship were most likely to say they didn’t mind if they didn’t get a reply.

Textiquette dos and don’ts

So, how do you improve your textiquette? Follow these simple Do’s and Don’ts and you’ll be on your way!

DON'T

DO

Leave someone on read

Reply to texts if your read receipts are on

Ignore your friends for more than 12 hours

Find the time to reply to your friends, family members, and partner - even if you ‘can’t be bothered’

Send a one-word response

Respond proportionally – try to send the same amount as the person who text you

Message someone you don’t know and expect them to reply

Make sure you know the person you’re texting and that it won’t annoy them

Reply to someone using a single emoji

Use full sentences when replying to someone

Keep texting until you get a response

Consider the other person's schedule when waiting for a reply

 

Improve your textiquette

Still need more advice on how to become a better texter? Then follow these simple tips:

If you’re an avid texter and always on your phone, you’ll need to make sure it's protected from theft or damage. Thankfully, our award-winning smartphone insurance starts from just £2.99 a month, so your phone can be thoroughly safe and protected with Insurance2go.

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