Friend Zone or Interested? 15 Hints to Decode Your Crush’s Behavior

Are you in the friend zone? Are they interested in you? How do you even know the difference? Here are the signs of both friend zone or interested.

As someone who’s seasoned in the friend zone as both a giver and receiver, I want to share with you some wisdom of understanding the “friend zone or interested” conundrum. I’ve spent years chasing guys who played me, and all I did was get hurt and waste my time. They enjoyed the ego boost, but it didn’t help me.

So, let’s stop wasting your time. If you’re not sure where you stand with someone, talk to them. I know it’s hard, but you’re more important than them. If you’re not ready to talk to them, then look at the signs to see if you can figure out where they stand. [Read: Don’t turn your crush into a villain if they friend zone you]

Friend zone or interested – How to know the difference between the two

Oh no, don’t even get me started on the friend zone. Okay, yes, I’ve friend zoned a couple of guys in my time, but I’ve also been friend zoned. Of course, I didn’t realize it… Well, I did, but I was in denial.

Who wants to be in the friend zone? No one, no one wants to be just a friend. So, naturally, even though we know the answer, we stick around hanging on strings of hope, thinking they’ll change their mind. But this doesn’t bring any good. If anything, we waste our time. But at the same time, you’re thinking there might be a chance they’ll like you. It’s a hard spot to be in. [Read: 15 ways to tease and flirt with a friend without being weird]

Once you see the signs between being friend zone or interested, it’s clear.

#1 Friend zone: They bring their friends to hang out with you. When you ask to hang out with them, they say, “sure, we can hang out together with our friends.” Yeah, a little bit of a buzz kill, right? They don’t want to give you the wrong impression but are too weak to be honest with you. [Read: 13 actions that’ll help you escape the friend zone]

#2 Interested: You go out on dates. They ask you if you want to go grab dinner or go see a movie. These aren’t typical friend outings, these are dates. It’s a bold move. Maybe they’re hinting they like you.

#3 Interested: You meet the family. Now there are some friend zones where you’ll know their family and vice versa. But usually, you wouldn’t be hanging out there all the time. Now, if you meet the family, invitations to special occasions, something is going on.

#4 Friend zone: They talk about others. They talk about other people, people who you think they may also have a crush on. Listen, they can either be trying to make you jealous or gauging your reaction, but don’t kid yourself. In reality, if they’re talking about other people, it’s because they’re just not that into you. [Read: How to deal with sexual tension between friends]

#5 Interested: They put the phone away. When you are together, they’re not texting other people. Instead, they focus solely on you and the time you spend together. If someone dedicates their time to you, it means something, especially when we’re glued to our phones.

#6 Friend zone: There’s no touching. You don’t touch each other at all. You touch them and though they don’t say no, they’re not overly interested in touching you back. You, are in the friend zone. Touch is a huge indicator if someone is interested in you. [Read: How to flirt by touch without making it obvious at all]

#7 Friend zone: You feel it. What can I say about it, you know, deep down if they’re not that into you. Even with all the signs pointing in the friend zone direction, you also have the feeling in your stomach they don’t like you like that. What can you do? Just move on. 

#8 Interested: They touch you. Remember, touch is crucial. Whether they’re always hugging you, touching your arms, back, legs, stomach or head, it’s the attraction. If someone doesn’t like you sexually, they’re not going to touch you. But if they like you, they’ll try as much as possible to get their hands on your skin.

#9 Friend zone: No one knows about you. Their friends haven’t heard from you before. If you have mutual friends, no one seems to think this person likes you. If they’re not talking about you, they don’t like you. If they did like you, literally everyone would know. Everyone. [Read: How to be friends with someone you like without losing your mind] 

#10 Friend zone: The sentence. You know the sentence. We all know the sentence. If they say, “you’re such a good friend,” it’s over. There’s no way to come back from that. You know and I know when someone says that, they’re cementing their feelings for you.   

#11 Friend zone: You’re their therapist. They talk to you about their problems, and you’re someone they can always count on. But that’s about it. You don’t really flirt with them, you’re more of a therapist. This is definitely when you should consider yourself a friend. [Read: Friend zoned? 13 flirty ways to slide back into the sexual zone]

#12 Interested: They treat you differently. They have other friends of the same gender as you, but they treat them differently. You feel they give you more attention and even flirt with you. But with their other friends, they keep it to a strict friendship-only vibe.

#13 Friend zone: You’re introduced as “the friend.” And when they introduce you as a friend, they make a strong emphasis on the word “friend.” They don’t want anyone thinking anything else. Though you may not notice it, once you start seeing them introducing you to other people, you’ll see what I’m talking about.

#14 Interested: They tell you how they feel about you. If they tell you they have feelings for you or aren’t interested in seeing anyone else, it’s the truth. It took a lot of courage for them to admit their feelings for you. This is the most obvious and easiest way to know if someone likes you or not. [Read: Signs a friend likes you even if they’re hiding it]

#15 Friend zone: They mention finding “the one.” Ouch, this one hurts. You find yourself in these deep and intense conversations with them about the future. And then they talk about “finding the one.” You thought you were “the one,” didn’t you? Well, this is a little awkward isn’t it… but… uh, you’re in the friend zone.

[Read: 13 friend zone hacks to get your friend to start liking you more]

After reading this list, if you still wonder, friend zone or interested, relax. There’s only one real way to find out: ask them. Dun, dun, dun!