WhatsApp's Polls Is Coming; More Useful Than You Might Expect

Polls appear to be everywhere these days. However, there is one platform where polls aren't available: WhatsApp.

This won't be the case for much longer though...

The company is working on a polls function for groups, according to WABetaInfo. The function is still in its early phases, as shown in the report's screenshot (and below), and we don't know much about how it will look.

You might think this is unnecessary at first. In a group conversation, who needs a poll?

However, the feature has a wide range of applications. Consider scheduling a meeting, suggesting pet names, or deciding on the next movie you want to see.

In community groups, you may quickly decide on meeting dates, vote on specific decisions, and a variety of other organizational details. While polls aren't a must-have feature (like linking several devices to one account), they would make WhatsApp significantly more accessible to a broader audience.

Telegram has had this feature for quite some time. At the start of 2020, it revamped its polling system, adding visible or anonymous single-choice votes, multiple-choice options, and quizzes.

I've already seen channel administrators polling their subscribers about their favorite apps or the next topic they'd like to learn more about. I've joined various new Telegram Channels to keep up with the Ukraine-Russia situation, and people frequently generate polls regarding which services aren't working in their area. That's a fast approach to assess the level of interruption.

Another texting competitor, Signal, doesn't have a polling option yet, but you can do with emoji reactions, which WhatsApp is working on.

Surprisingly, the Meta-owned company hasn't added more messaging functions, given that it has over two billion members. Even though polls may appear to be old hats, they are likely to be a major hit when they are finally implemented.