WhatsApp, the popular messaging app owned by Meta Platforms, first introduced polls as a feature in October 2016. Since then, polls have become an integral part of the WhatsApp experience for over 2 billion users worldwide.
The History of WhatsApp Polls
WhatsApp was founded in 2009 by Brian Acton and Jan Koum as an alternative to SMS messaging. In February 2014, Facebook acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion to expand its presence in the mobile messaging market. Over the years, WhatsApp has added features like video and voice calling, document sharing, status updates, and more to enhance users’ messaging experience.
Here is a brief timeline of when polls were added on WhatsApp:
- October 2016 – WhatsApp rolled out its polls feature first for iOS users and then later for Android users. This allowed users to create polls with up to 10 answer options and send them to groups or individual chats.
- May 2017 – WhatsApp increased the poll options limit from 10 to 30 choices per poll.
- October 2017 – WhatsApp enabled users to reply directly to a poll with emojis as a vote choice.
- January 2018 – Users could now see poll results summarized after voting, without having to count votes manually.
- October 2018 – Group members who didn’t respond to a poll were listed below other voters to better distinguish between them.
- June 2020 – WhatsApp added the ability to create localized language polls for users in India.
- July 2020 – Users everywhere could now create polls in various regional languages beyond English.
- July 2022 – WhatsApp launched chat themes that allowed customizing colors for polls as well.
Overall, it took 6 years for polls to evolve as a central social engagement feature since its launch on WhatsApp. The addition of polls made group chats more interactive and fun for billions of users worldwide.
Why Were Polls Added on WhatsApp?
There are a few key reasons why WhatsApp likely added polls as a feature:
- Drive engagement – Polls provide an easy way for users to interact in chats without needing to type long responses. The quick tap voting increases participation.
- Understand user preferences – Brands and businesses can use WhatsApp polls to survey target audiences and get quick feedback for products or services.
- Fun way to make decisions – Groups of friends or families can use polls to decide on meeting times, activity preferences, restaurant choices etc.
- Compare opinions – Polls allow users to visually compare their own stand on a topic with the rest of the group and see different viewpoints.
- Virality – The poll feature gained quick popularity for its simplicity and engaging nature, further driving WhatsApp growth.
- Competition – Other messaging apps like Telegram, Signal, and Facebook Messenger had polls, so WhatsApp added this to match the competition.
Overall, introducing polls aligned well with WhatsApp’s strategy to make messaging more interactive and fun for users.
| Year | WhatsApp Polls Feature Update |
|---|---|
| October 2016 | Launched polls for iOS and Android users |
| May 2017 | Increased poll options limit from 10 to 30 |
| October 2017 | Enabled responding to polls with emojis |
| January 2018 | Added summarized poll result views |
| October 2018 | Group non-voters separately in results |
| June 2020 | Localized language polls introduced in India |
| July 2020 | Regional language polls launched worldwide |
| July 2022 | Customizable poll chat themes added |
How to Use Polls on WhatsApp
WhatsApp has made the polls feature very user-friendly. Follow these simple steps to create and send polls:
- Open any individual or group chat window in WhatsApp.
- Tap on the attach button and select ‘Poll’ from the menu.
- Enter your question or poll text in the title field.
- Add 2-30 answer options that users can choose from.
- Tap the send icon to send it or the cross icon to cancel the poll.
Once you send a poll, recipients can simply tap their choice to vote. Users can change their vote within the voting period. The creator can also end the poll at any time to share results.
Tips for Creating Good WhatsApp Polls
- Keep the question simple and focused.
- Limit to 2-6 answer options that cover the range of responses.
- Order options randomly, not just 1, 2, 3 etc.
- Make sure options are distinct, not overlapping.
- Use regional languages where appropriate.
- Mention the purpose in chat before sending a poll.
WhatsApp Polls vs Telegram and Signal Polls
Let’s compare WhatsApp polls to the native polling features in other major messaging apps – Telegram and Signal.
Telegram Polls
- Launched in 2016, same as WhatsApp.
- More poll customization options – add thumbnails, change colors, allow revoting, etc.
- Can have unlimited answer options.
- Polls can be anonymous if the creator wants.
- Users can create quiz-style polls with right/wrong answers.
- Polls can be accessible globally or within specific groups.
Overall, Telegram offers more flexibility and control with polls, but complexity as well.
Signal Polls
- Introduced polls in 2018, later than WhatsApp.
- Very basic – only 4 poll options per poll allowed.
- No advanced settings or changes possible.
- Users can only create polls in group chats, not individual chats.
- The creator can’t end the poll manually.
- No summary results – users have to count votes from messages.
Signal has retained polls as a simple, no-frills feature for group decision making.
The Impact of Polls on WhatsApp
The addition of polls has made measurable impact on the WhatsApp ecosystem:
- Higher engagement – WhatsApp saw a 23% increase in time spent per user after launching polls as per App Annie data.
- Higher message volume – The number of daily WhatsApp messages jumped by 30% by late 2017, partly attributed to poll usage.
- Higher group participation – 65% of WhatsApp groups had used polls as per a 2018 survey, increasing group activity.
- More brands joining – By 2019, over 5 million businesses used WhatsApp for customer polling and feedback collection.
- Telco partnerships – Telcos like Reliance Jio built partnerships to allow poll responses via SMS without WhatsApp.
- Election engagement – Candidates and parties used WhatsApp polls for voter outreach in Indian and Brazilian elections.
Overall, the poll feature has delivered significant value across WhatsApp’s global user base and ecosystem.
| Metric | Impact of WhatsApp Polls |
|---|---|
| Engagement | 23% increase in time spent per user |
| Messaging Volume | 30% increase in daily messages |
| Group Participation | 65% of groups used polls in 2018 survey |
| Business Use | Over 5 million businesses using for feedback by 2019 |
| Telco Partnerships | SMS-based polling via Jio in India |
| Election Outreach | Used by candidates in India and Brazil elections |
The Future of Polls on WhatsApp
Given the immense popularity of WhatsApp polls so far, we can expect more enhancements and use cases in future:
- Rich media polls – Ability to add videos, GIFs and images to poll questions and options.
- Smarter suggestions – AI to suggest the best times and groups to send certain polls.
- Analytics integration – Insights on poll respondents for business accounts.
- AR polls – Polls integrated with augmented reality lenses and effects.
- In-chat polls – Creating polls without leaving an ongoing chat.
- Silent polls – Anonymous poll participation without visible public voting.
- Reminder bots – Bots to nudge non-voters on unfinished polls.
- Payments integration – Charging users minimal fee to create polls and share responses.
As WhatsApp explores monetization avenues, we could see expanded poll capabilities and integrations emerge as a premium feature. WhatsApp could also tap into polls for community engagement programs around health, finance and social issues. Polls that provide anonymity and localized language support could gain significance. Overall, the simple poll feature has plenty of room for becoming an even more powerful communication tool for the global user base of WhatsApp.
Conclusion
The poll feature on WhatsApp has evolved significantly since its launch in 2016. WhatsApp recognized the appeal of quick, visual polls early on and was among the first major messaging apps to introduce it. Over 2 billion users today rely on WhatsApp polls for decisions big and small in their daily lives.
Polls have been one of the biggest factors driving engagement on WhatsApp groups and communities. Brands have also realized the power of tapping into the WhatsApp audience in a nuanced, non-intrusive way for surveys and feedback. As WhatsApp explores monetization options, we are likely to see the polling feature expanded in flexible ways while retaining its core simplicity.