iMessage is one of the most widely used messaging platforms today. This is impressive, considering it’s only available for Apple users. The app offers loads of different features, however, there is always room for improvement. One feature that iMessage still doesn’t offer is support for polls in group chats.

Luckily, there are some workarounds to this, such as using third-party apps, which we’ll cover below.

Polls for iMessage

Polls for iMessage is a third-party app that allows you to create polls in your group iMessage chats by acting as in the Messages app. The best part about the app is that voting is enabled for others without them installing the app, and universal polls are supported across all devices.

Here’s how to install and use polls in your iMessage group chats:

  1. Go to the group chat you wish to share the poll in. Alternatively, you can start a new group chat if you want.
  2. Tap on the App Store icon and search for Polls for iMessage.
  3. Download and install the app.
  4. Exit and restart iMessage. Now open up the group chat you want to send the poll to again.
  5. Swipe through the iMessage app icons and tap on the Polls icon.
  6. Hit the Get Started button to create your poll. You can add a name for the poll and various options for it.
  7. Once you’re done, click on Send Poll to send it to the chat, and allow your friends to vote on it!

Although you may be able to send polls over SMS to people who don’t use iMessage, they won’t be able to interact with the poll.

How to Edit Your Poll Settings

Once you’ve created your iMessage poll, you can also choose to edit its settings. You can do this by tapping the Settings option to the bottom-right of the poll.

The options available are:

  • See who voted: This allows you to see who is voting for which options.
  • Add options: Enabling this will allow participants to add their own additional options.
  • Declare a winner: The app will declare a winner automatically after the voting has concluded, or once a specified time period has ended.
  • Multiple votes: This will allow voters to vote for more than one option.

Do You Need Polls in iMessage Group Chats?

The main benefit of group chats is that it allows multiple people to talk together, plan outings, and make decisions. However, deciding on something can be slightly tricky, with everyone having their own opinion.

Keeping track of these can be difficult as well, thanks to people sending different messages at different times. A solution for this is to use polls—which allow you and your friends to clearly vote and decide on something.

Using Polls in iMessage

It’s a shame that Apple doesn’t offer polls in iMessage by default, but by using this third-party app you can easily add polls to group iMessage chats to help you and your friends reach a decision.