Texted old friend and got reply saying, 'who is this?' Has he deleted me?

[allthiswasunseen]

I texted an old friend to ask how he was in the shutdown, last heard from him about a year ago, and got a reply ' who is this?'

Is there any explanation for this, other than he deliberately deleted me from his contacts list?

I don't really want to reply if that is the case. I'd rather ignore his reply and retain a shred of dignity.

He's most likely just got a new handset and lost the numbers on his old one.

(especially if it was actually a real old fashioned text message, rather than WhatsApp etc)

They may never have saved your number in the first place, I don't tend to save many numbers as I just work out who they are from the last message. Or I suppose if they got a new phone?

Seems a silly thing to not reply over, just remind them who you are.

Lost/broken/stolen phone is a possibility.

Just reply and if he then still ignores you you have your answer.

I used to do this every time I got a new phone

Maybe.

I'm a bit cagey as I moved to an new part of the UK a few years ago.
I was booked for a training event where he lives (where I used to live) and asked him if he would like to meet for a coffee after it - he said great, he'd put it in the diary. When I texted the day of the training to check he was still ok to meet, he replied to say he had his son that weekend adn couldn't make it. I was pretty pissed off. Having his son is a regular - he could have told me in advance he couldn't make it. He clearly just forgot. I would have preferred he said ' oh my god I forgot - I am so sorry'.

So having this following on, makes me wonder if he just isn't that arsed about me after all and just deleted me as an ex-friend.

There was an iPhone update recently that added / removed spaces in some people's phone books and meant even though numbers were saved, they weren't always coming up with the name when you rang / texted.

Happened with a couple of colleagues and had to do something in settings to fix it. So could be that innocent.

I would say that if you haven't contacted him since the failed meeting and he hasn't contacted you. Then he's not that bothered.
But maybe he lost your number, who knows op. I would text back your name and go from there, if you don't it turns into a bigger thing and you'll keep dwelling on it.

I've had number format glitches too in the past, meaning even if I saved someone's number it might show their name in a call but not on a text, that kind of thing.

You seem far keener on him than he is on you if you’re always the one getting in touch or suggesting meetings. I'd probably leave it in your shoes.

You haven’t contacted him in a year though, it’s not like you’re close anyway.

Probably got a new phone and lost some numbers

Why do you still his number a year later?

If I don't hear from someone after several months, they are deleted. Why do I want to keep their number?

Any guy who contacted me after a year, I would be thinking haha, now he's finished doing whatever, he suddenly has time for me. Bollocks to that.

Some phone numbers save to the sim card, others to the phone itself. If he's got an upgrade in that time chances are your number was one which was saved to his old handset so didn't transfer.