How-To

How to Create a Poll on WhatsApp

By Adam Davidson

Published March 27, 2023

Do you need a quick way to gauge opinion in your WhatsApp group chat? Here’s how to create a poll on WhatsApp.

Everybody loves a good poll. A poll is a great way to settle an argument or come to a consensus in your group chat. If you’re a WhatsApp user, like most of planet Earth, then you may not realize that you can create polls directly through the app.

This is a relatively new feature that was only introduced in 2022. Prior to then, the only way to create polls in WhatsApp was to use third-party apps. It’s now quick and simple to create a poll in WhatsApp with just a few taps.

If you’re ready to let democracy reign in your group chat, then learn how to create a poll on WhatsApp below.

How to Create a Poll on WhatsApp Mobile

The method for creating a poll on WhatsApp is similar for both iOS and Android, although for some reason the icons are a little different.

To create a poll on WhatsApp mobile:

1. Open the WhatsApp app and find the chat where you want to add your poll.
2. Click the Attach icon. This is a Plus (+) on iPhone and a Paper Clip on Android.
   
3. Tap Poll.
   
4. Under Question tap Ask Question.
   
5. Enter the question for your poll.
   
6. Under Options tap Add.
   
7. Enter your first option.
   
8. Repeat for all the options you want for your poll. Each time you add a new option, another Add field will appear, up to a maximum of 12 options.
9. If you want to change the order of your options, tap and hold onto the Three Lines icon and drag your option to the desired position.
   
10. When you’re happy with your poll, tap Send.
    
11. Your poll will appear in the chat.
12. To vote, simply tap on the option you want to choose.
    
13. You can choose multiple options and if you change your mind, tap on the option again to undo your vote.
14. To see the results of your poll, tap View Votes.
    
15. You can now see who has voted for which options.
    

How to Create a Poll on WhatsApp Web or Desktop

You can also create a poll using the WhatsApp desktop app, or in a browser. The method is similar to that for the mobile app, although finding the poll option is a little harder.

To create a poll on WhatsApp Web or Desktop:

1. Open the WhatsApp Desktop app or sign into WhatsApp in your browser.
2. Open the chat you want to add your poll to.
3. Tap the Paper Clip icon.
   
4. Select the Poll icon. This is the one that looks like a bar chart.
   
5. Under Question, type your question.
   
6. Under Options add your options. More option fields will appear as you add more options up to a total maximum of 12.
   
7. To change the order of your options, click and hold the Three Lines icon and drag your options into the appropriate position.
   
8. When you’re happy with your poll, click the Send icon at the bottom of the window.
   
9. Your poll will appear in your chat.
10. To vote, click one of the options. You can select more than one option, but you can’t vote for the same one twice.
11. If you change your mind, click the option again to remove your vote.
12. To see the current results of the poll in detail, click View Votes.
    
13. You’ll see who has voted for each option in your poll.
    

Using WhatsApp

Learning how to create a poll on WhatsApp allows you to quickly gauge the opinion of other people in your chat. Thankfully, WhatsApp has added this feature as in the past creating polls was far from easy.

There are plenty of other WhatsApp features that you may not be aware of. Did you know that you can send disappearing messages in WhatsApp? Or that you can control who can add you to WhatsApp groups? And if you decide that you’re not that comfortable using a chat app owned by Meta, you can always learn how to move from WhatsApp to Signal.