Apple brings polling into iMessage
Apple is making it easier to organize plans in iMessage with a new polling feature in iOS 26, giving group chat participants a way to share opinions and vote on decisions. Here’s how it works.
Group chat indecision just got easier to resolve. Apple is adding built-in polls to the Messages app in iOS 26, giving users a native way to vote on decisions without leaving their conversation.
Unveiled during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference on June 9, 2025, the new feature lets users create polls directly inside group chats. You can propose options, cast votes, and instantly see what everyone prefers.
It’s a long-requested tool that helps eliminate the chaos of texting back and forth to settle simple group decisions. Polls in Messages work much like those in other chat apps.
You can add multiple options, and everyone in the group can vote. Apple says the system is designed to be quick and intuitive. Results update in real time as participants respond.
Apple Intelligence adds context-aware suggestions
Apple is also giving polls a boost with its on-device AI system Apple Intelligence. When the system detects planning-related questions, it can suggest creating a poll.
For example, if someone writes “What movie should we see tonight?” the Messages app will prompt the user to set up a poll with suggested titles.
The AI processing happens locally on supported devices. Apple says this preserves user privacy while still offering helpful, real-time suggestions.
Apple has steadily added features to iMessage that go beyond texting. Inline replies, message editing, scheduling, and now polling all reflect a shift in how the app is used.
Unlike third-party iMessage apps, the new polling tool is fully integrated and doesn’t require installation or additional permissions. Polls can be created directly in any iMessage group, although they are not available in SMS or cross-platform chats.
Other chat apps have offered polls for years. WhatsApp introduced polls in 2022, with features like single or multiple choice options, anonymous voting, and vote updates. Telegram has long supported advanced polling, including quiz modes and public results.
The polling feature is available now in the iOS 26 developer beta. Apple plans to launch a public beta in July, with a general release expected Fall 2025 alongside the iPhone 17 lineup.
