Facebook Messenger once had a popular polls feature that allowed users to easily create polls and surveys to send to friends or groups. However, in early 2020, Facebook removed the native polls feature from Messenger as part of a larger effort to streamline the messaging platform. The decision disappointed many Messenger users who had enjoyed the polls feature for gathering friends’ opinions and feedback. So what exactly happened to polls on Facebook Messenger, and is there any way for users to still create polls in Messenger?
The Polls Feature in Messenger
The polls feature was introduced to Facebook Messenger in 2017, giving users a quick and easy way to create poll questions and multiple choice answers within a Messenger chat. Users could add a poll to any chat thread, whether a group conversation or a direct message chat. Friends in the chat could then tap to vote on poll answers and see the real-time results within the chat.
The polls feature became popular for casually surveying friends about their opinions, preferences, and availability. Messenger polls provided an efficient alternative to sending long texts or questions and waiting for each friend to respond individually. Users liked being able to visually see poll results right in the chat. Pages and businesses also used Messenger polls for market research, client feedback, and engaging their audiences.
Why Facebook Removed Messenger Polls
In early 2020, Facebook began streamlining Messenger to focus on messaging features. They removed several discover tab features, including polls, games, and business bots. According to Facebook, this was an effort to simplify Messenger and return it to a dedicated messaging app.
The polls feature in particular was removed because Facebook found it was not being used for messaging purposes. Polls were more often used by pages and businesses to gather market research rather than for personal conversations.
Impact of the Removal of Polls
Many Messenger users were disappointed when polls disappeared. The feature had been useful for coordinating plans, getting recommendations, and making everyday decisions with friends and family. Pages and market researchers also provided feedback that they missed having polls available for market research and engagement.
Some users were frustrated not to have any advanced notice before polls were removed. The abrupt removal left some people’s existing poll questions and data stranded without a way to access it.
Overall, the disappearance of native polls removed a popular interactive feature that many Messenger users enjoyed. While Facebook wanted to refocus Messenger on more personal communication, many felt polls had been useful for casual chatting and coordinating.
Alternatives for Creating Polls in Messenger
While the native polls feature no longer exists, there are some alternative ways Messenger users can still create and share polls:
Text-Based Polls
The simplest alternative is reverting to basic text-based polls. You can send a poll question and answer options in a normal chat message, then have friends respond with the number or letter of their vote. It requires more work than the automated polls feature, but allows the same poll functionality.
Facebook Sticker Polls
Facebook has poll stickers available that can be used in Messenger chats or Facebook Stories. To access, click the sticker icon when composing a message and search “poll” to find poll sticker options you can add. Friends can tap to vote on sticker poll answers.
Third-Party Poll Apps
A number of third party apps exist that allow users to create polls and surveys to share in Messenger. For example:
– Threads – Create polls with multiple question types and share via Messenger or WhatsApp.
– Poppoll – Make polls to share on Messenger and see analytics on poll responses.
– QuickPolls for Messenger – Build customizable polls and embed them in Messenger chats.
– Messenger Polls & Surveys – Generate polls and surveys and share via Messenger.
– Slido – Interactive polls, quizzes, word clouds, and Q&A features to embed in Messenger.
These apps support various poll and survey question formats and provide user-friendly interfaces for creating and sharing polls in Messenger chats. They can closely replicate the original Messenger polls experience.
Facebook Groups
In Facebook Groups that you manage, you can create native polls to share with the group. These function similar to the original Messenger polls. Posting in a Facebook Group allows you to efficiently poll a group rather than having to message each person individually.
The Future of Polls on Messenger
There has been no indication that Facebook plans to reinstate native polls to Messenger. The decision to remove polls aimed to simplify Messenger and reduce non-messaging features.
However, Facebook has left open the possibility of bringing back certain discover tab features in the future. The polls feature was undoubtedly very popular and useful among Messenger’s broad user base. If Facebook sees strong demand and feedback about the desire for polls to return, there’s a chance they may reconsider. Especially if a way to implement polls solely for person-to-person conversations can be determined.
For now, Messenger users can use the alternatives outlined above for creating polls to share. While third party options require downloading additional apps, they provide the closest experience to the original straightforward polls feature. And text-based polls or Facebook stickers still allow you to get feedback from friends right within your Messenger chats.
Conclusion
Polls were removed from Facebook Messenger in early 2020 as part of an initiative to refocus Messenger on messaging capabilities. Many users were disappointed to lose the convenient polls feature for surveying friends and making group decisions. While no native polls feature currently exists in Messenger, users do have alternative options to recreate the polls experience through third party apps, text formatting, Facebook stickers, or posting in Facebook Groups. The polls feature was clearly highly utilized, so Facebook may consider reintroducing it in some capacity if strong feedback indicates demand. For now, existing alternative poll options can fulfill the need for easily gathering opinions and information from your Messenger contacts.