Polls have become a popular feature on many social media platforms and messaging apps over the last few years. They allow users to easily create simple multiple choice questions and get feedback from their friends or followers. On Facebook Messenger, polls have been available since 2016 when the feature was first introduced. However, some Messenger users have recently noticed that the option to create polls in new Messenger conversations appears to have been removed.
What are Messenger polls?
Messenger polls were a quick and easy way for users to create a multiple choice question with up to two options and send it to any of their Messenger contacts to get their feedback. The poll would appear in the chat window and recipients could tap to vote on their preferred option. The results were shown in real-time, so users could see how their friends responded. Polls were particularly popular in group chats as a way to make decisions or settle debates.
Some key features of Messenger polls:
- Allowed up to two options per poll
- Votes were anonymous
- Creator could see real-time results
- Available in both individual and group chats
- Completely free to use
Polls provided an easy and engaging way for Messenger users to interact with their contacts and get quick opinions on things. They were great for making simple choices like “Which movie should we see tonight?” or “What’s the plan for this weekend?”.
When were Messenger polls introduced?
Messenger polls were first launched in August 2016, after a short beta testing period. The feature was rolled out globally on iOS and Android over the following weeks after the initial launch. Adoption was rapid, with Facebook reporting that Messenger users were sending millions of polls every day within the first few months. The accessibility and real-time capabilities made it much more engaging than traditional surveys or questionnaires.
Some key dates for Messenger polls:
- Beta testing began – July 2016
- Official global launch – August 2016
- Over 100 million polls sent daily by October 2016
- Expanded to over 1 billion users by 2018
The widespread use demonstrated how polls met a need for Messenger users to poll their contacts in real-time. It became one of the app’s most popular interactive features alongside things like group video calling and gaming.
Are Messenger polls still available?
In October 2022, many Messenger users noticed that the option to create a new poll appeared to have been removed from the app. When starting a new chat thread, the poll button alongside the options for photos, stickers, and GIFs was no longer showing. It seemed the ability to create new polls had been quietly removed.
However, some users reported that polls were still functional in existing conversations where they had previously been created. So polls do still work, but creating new polls may no longer be possible. Facebook has not made any official announcement regarding changes to Messenger polls.
There are a few possibilities that may explain their removal:
- Facebook is phasing out the feature due to declining usage
- Removing polls improves performance and loading times
- The polls feature is being revamped and may return in the future
- Polls were being misused for spread of misinformation
While disappointing for some users, the removal of poll creation does not seem to have significantly impacted most Messenger users. And existing polls still appear to remain functional. So it is more of a scaling back than a full removal of poll capabilities.
Are there any workarounds to create new Messenger polls?
While the standard method of creating polls in Messenger may no longer work, there are some workaround options that savvy users have found can still enable new polls:
- Use third-party polling apps – Apps like ‘Polling for Messenger’ allow poll creation
- Exploit multi-device messaging – Create poll on desktop, sync to mobile
- Downgrade Messenger app – Install older APK/IPA version of Messenger
- Access via Lite mode – Messenger Lite still has polls in some regions
However, these workarounds take more effort than the native polls previously did. And some may stop working if Facebook cracks down on limiting poll creation in the future. For most regular users, losing Messenger polls is probably not a major inconvenience that warrants using complicated workarounds.
What poll alternatives exist on Messenger?
While native Messenger polls may be gone, there are some alternative options available for users who still want to be able to poll their contacts:
- Facebook Polls – Create polls on Facebook timeline or in Groups
- Reactions – Use message reactions to have a similar effect
- Emoji polls – Unofficial but users vote by adding a specific emoji
- External poll apps – Use third-party apps designed for Messenger
None of these alternatives offer quite the same seamless experience that Messenger’s integrated polls provided. But they provide similar poll functionality in different forms. The demise of polls is undoubtedly a loss, but there remain plenty of options for polling friends on Messenger.
Will Messenger polls make a return?
It remains to be seen whether the removal of Messenger polls is just a temporary change, or if they are gone for good. Facebook has given no indication that this is a permanent removal, but also has not explicitly said that polls will be coming back.
Looking at Facebook’s history with other removed features may provide some insight:
- Pokes – Removed in 2014, never returned
- Chat Heads – Removed in 2020, brought back in 2022
- Message Reactions – Removed in 2016, relaunched in 2017
Based on this precedent, it’s certainly possible that Messenger polls could reappear in the future. Especially given polls’ popularity, it would not be surprising if Facebook is just reworking the feature before enabling it again. But the company’s direction toward simplicity and performance may mean polls are gone for good.
In summary, while the polls feature seems to have been removed from Messenger for now, there is a chance it could return in the future. Users who want to see the feature reenabled should look out for app updates and provide feedback to Facebook.
Conclusion
Messenger polls were a fun and useful feature enabling real-time polling of contacts. Their apparent removal in late 2022 came as a disappointment to many longtime users. However, workarounds do exist for determined poll creators to keep the functionality alive. And while native poll creation may not return, other alternatives exist to serve similar purposes.
Polls helped set Messenger apart from other messaging platforms and demonstrated how social interactivity could be integrated seamlessly into conversations. If this is the permanent end of the official Messenger polls feature, it marks the end of an era. But the spirit of real-time polling lives on through both makeshift solutions and a desire among users to see polls return one day.