The problem of making group decisions in messaging apps is a common frustration. For example, when friends try to agree on dinner plans in WhatsApp or coworkers debate meeting times in iMessage, the current methods - typing options or using emoji reactions - often lead to confusion and wasted time. What's missing is a straightforward way to compile opinions efficiently within these conversation threads.

How a Built-in Polling Feature Could Work

One approach could be adding a polling button next to the photo and payment options in the message composer. Tapping it might open a simple interface to type a question, add multiple-choice answers, and set whether multiple selections are allowed. The poll would then appear in the chat as an interactive message where participants could vote with a tap rather than typing replies. Results could update in real-time for all participants. For platforms like iMessage that have both iOS and Android users, the poll might transform into a formatted text list showing tally marks on incompatible devices.

Potential features might include:

• Time-bound polls that automatically close and announce results
• The ability for creators to see who chose which option
• Option to share poll results outside the original chat

Why Messaging Platforms Might Want This

For companies like Apple and Meta (owner of WhatsApp), this could serve as a competitive advantage over other messaging services. By analyzing how Telegram's polling feature increased user engagement, these larger platforms might see value in offering similar functionality to their much larger user bases. The business case becomes stronger when considering that nearly any group conversation could benefit from faster decision-making tools.

Getting Started

A minimum viable product could begin with basic multiple-choice polls that disappear after 24 hours. Testing with a small percentage of users could help determine whether people actually prefer this over current workarounds before committing to full development. One way to validate demand could be measuring how often users currently type phrases like "vote for option 1 or 2" in group chats.

While third-party polling apps exist, the friction of leaving a conversation to use them means most people stick with inferior manual methods. A properly integrated solution could become as ubiquitous as the emoji reaction - a feature most users don't realize they need until they have it.