Yes—but not by default
Some FWB relationships become committed partnerships. Others remain casual or end. Sexual closeness does not create an obligation to progress toward romance.
Look for mutual change
Increased non-sexual time, emotional disclosure and future planning can accompany a transition, but the decisive factor is whether both people want to redefine the relationship.
How to raise it
Say that your preferences have changed and ask whether they are interested in dating more intentionally. Avoid framing the conversation as repayment for time or intimacy already shared.
If the answer is different from yours
You may decide casual still works, or you may need to step away. Staying solely to campaign for a future relationship usually creates a difficult power imbalance.
Separate the feeling from the decision
A change in emotion does not dictate one mandatory next step. Attraction can deepen without requiring a committed relationship; jealousy can appear without making exclusivity the right solution; reduced interest can happen without anyone doing something wrong. First identify what changed, then decide what you actually need. That distinction helps you communicate a request instead of presenting an emotion as a demand.
Make room for a different answer
Transitions become easier to navigate when both people are allowed to want different outcomes. One person can want commitment while the other prefers to stay casual. One can want friendship after ending the sexual relationship while the other needs distance. The next step should be based on what is mutually workable, not on forcing symmetry where it does not exist.
Labels help describe a relationship, but expectations are specific to the people in it. When something important changes, a direct conversation is usually more useful than trying to decode a rule from the internet.