WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One of its handy features is the ability to create polls in group chats, allowing you to easily survey group members or make decisions. However, WhatsApp polls are not anonymous by default – when creating a poll, you can see who voted for what option. This leads many to wonder: is there a way to make WhatsApp polls anonymous?
The short answer
Unfortunately, there is currently no built-in way to make a WhatsApp poll anonymous. The app does not have any settings or options to hide voter identities. So when creating a poll in WhatsApp, all group members can see who voted for what.
Explaining how WhatsApp polls work
To understand why WhatsApp polls cannot be easily made anonymous, it helps to first look at how polling works in the app.
When you create a poll in a WhatsApp group chat, you add a question and two or more options. WhatsApp then generates a special poll message that includes the question and voting options. This poll message is posted in the group chat like a regular text message.
Group members can then tap on the options to cast their votes. WhatsApp displays the total vote count next to each option. It also shows a list of who has voted for which options. So you can see something like:
- Option A: 3 votes (John, Sarah, Mike)
- Option B: 5 votes (Katie, Jacob, Rachel, John, Max)
As you can see, there is no way to hide who voted for what. The voter identities are inherently part of the poll data that gets posted in the chat.
Workarounds to make a WhatsApp poll semi-anonymous
While fully anonymous polling is not possible, there are some workarounds to make a WhatsApp poll semi-anonymous:
Use a third-party polling service
One option is to create the poll using a third-party polling service like www.easypolls.net or www.poll-maker.com. You can then generate a poll link and post it in your WhatsApp group. People can tap the link to vote anonymously on the polling website. The limitation is that you’ll have to tally the results manually.
Have people privately message their vote
In the group chat, you can instruct members to privately message their vote to the poll creator. The creator tallies the votes offline and then posts only the totals in the group chat. This hides individual voters but is more time-consuming.
Limit who can see the poll results
When creating a poll, tap the three-dot menu in the top-right > Select “Only admins can see poll results.” This will at least limit the voter identities to only the group admins.
Or you can manually hide the results message after people have voted. This will show only the totals but not who voted for what.
Why WhatsApp polls are not anonymous
There are likely a few reasons why WhatsApp does not allow anonymous polling:
- Technical/design limitations – Making polls anonymous would likely involve a major redesign of how WhatsApp handles message data.
- Accountability – Showing who voted for what options adds accountability and prevents abuse.
- User engagement – Seeing who voted each way can drive more engagement and conversation.
- Consistent experience – WhatsApp tries to offer a consistent experience across its platform.
Anonymous polling goes against WhatsApp’s core design principles of being simple, private, and secure. The app focuses more on encryption and privacy rather than anonymity.
Workarounds have limitations
While the workarounds listed above can help make your WhatsApp polls semi-anonymous, they do have some limitations:
- Don’t work natively in WhatsApp – Require external tools or manual steps.
- Time-consuming – Options like private messaging votes take more effort.
- Less user-friendly – Steps beyond basic WhatsApp use create confusion.
- Oversight needed – Manual tallies increase chance of errors.
- Lose poll features – You lose built-in features like vote counts.
For polls about non-sensitive topics, these limitations likely outweigh the benefits of anonymity. But for more sensitive subjects, a semi-anonymous poll may be worth the extra effort.
Alternative anonymous polling options
If you really need anonymous polls, here are some alternative services beyond WhatsApp that offer this feature:
Poll apps
- Polly – Create anonymous polls and embed voting on a website.
- Strawpoll.me – Simple poll creation with no registration required.
- SurveyMonkey – Robust platform for polls and surveys.
- Google Forms – Create forms and surveys with Google services.
Voting platforms
- OpaVote – Open source online voting system.
- Balotilo – Anonymous voting for groups with multiple options.
- Vote.pizza – Simple open source voting system.
Anonymous messaging apps
- Secret – Share anonymously within friend groups.
- Whisper – Post and poll anonymously with strangers.
- Telegram – Encrypted messenger with anonymous group options.
The best option depends on your specific use case. But solutions exist for truly anonymous polling and voting if WhatsApp’s limitations are a dealbreaker.
Conclusion
In summary:
- WhatsApp does not have built-in support for anonymous polls.
- All group members can see who voted for what options.
- Workarounds like third-party polls offer semi-anonymity but have limitations.
- Fully anonymous polling requires alternative platforms beyond WhatsApp.
- Weigh the benefits vs. limitations based on your use case needs.
While not ideal for private or sensitive votes, the convenience and ease of use of WhatsApp polls makes them handy for casual use. Just keep in mind that voting is not anonymous by default on WhatsApp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make a WhatsApp poll where only I see who voted for what?
No, there is no setting where only the poll creator can view the voting results. The results are automatically visible to all group participants when creating a native WhatsApp poll.
Is there a way to see WhatsApp poll results without showing who voted for what?
Yes, you can hide the poll results message after people have voted to show only the totals. Or select the option “Only admins can see poll results” when creating the poll to limit visibility. However, this does not make the poll fully anonymous.
Can I use an external polling service anonymously while sharing the poll in WhatsApp?
Yes, you can create an anonymous poll using a third-party service like SurveyMonkey or Strawpoll.me. Share the poll link in your WhatsApp group for participants to vote anonymously on that website. You will then have to manually tally the external results.
What are the risks of non-anonymous polls on WhatsApp?
Lack of anonymity in WhatsApp polls runs the risk of:
- Influencing or biased vote choices if participants can see how others voted.
- Judgment or confrontation over vote choices since identities are visible.
- Reluctance to vote honestly if votes are tied to names.
For casual polls this may not be a big concern, but for more personal or divisive topics anonymity is preferred.
Can I suggest anonymous polls as a WhatsApp feature request?
Yes, you can send feedback directly to WhatsApp requesting anonymous poll options as a future feature. However, WhatsApp has not indicated any plans to add native support for anonymous polling at this time. Such a change would likely require an extensive redesign of how WhatsApp handles message data.
Table summarizing key points
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Are WhatsApp polls anonymous by default? | No, all voters are shown publicly. |
| Can I hide voter identities in WhatsApp? | No native support, but workarounds exist for semi-anonymity. |
| What are the limitations of anonymous workarounds? | Time-consuming, lose features, not fully private. |
| What are alternatives for truly anonymous polling? | Third-party poll services, anonymous messaging apps. |
| Should I avoid non-anonymous WhatsApp polls? | Depends on poll topic sensitivity vs. convenience need. |