Google Chat borrows this WhatsApp feature to cut down on endless debates
Summary
- Google Chat has added a polling feature similar to WhatsApp, making decision-making faster in the workplace.
- To create a poll in Chat, type /poll or @poll in a chat window and add question and answer options to seek votes from others.
- Poll app is available to all Chat users, but Workspace plan users may need the admin to enable it.
Google has experimented with multiple chat apps over the last decade. While Google Chat may be its most serious effort since dropping the Hangouts branding, it still isn’t a fan favorite. However, that hasn’t stopped Google from showing the app some love — especially in recent months, with the release of several new features. In line with that, Google Chat has now added a polling feature similar to what WhatsApp has had for years, making decision-making faster when working with large teams that need quick input.
Polling in everyday chat apps like WhatsApp helps your friend group pick a date and time for the movie you’ve been planning for months or finalize the restaurant for a catch-up session. Google Chat, however, is mostly used in workplaces, where the same polling tool can help schedule meetings, plan events, collect feedback, and, of course, organize Friday night team outings.
Google has added polling as an app within Chat that you can summon whenever needed. In a chat window, simply type /poll or @poll, then press enter to call up the app. On the next screen, enter your question along with multiple answer choices for your colleagues to vote on, and done — it’s that simple! Like any other app in Chat, you can bring it up on any device, be it your phone or one of our favorite Chromebooks.
To make things more visually engaging, polls for topics like lunch or coffee will include relevant emoji icons in the title, as shown in the animations below.
How to enable polls in Google Chat
With today’s announcement, Google has rolled out the Poll app to all Chat users. It is available by default for personal Google account users. However, those on a Workspace plan will have to wait for their admin to enable the tool from the settings panel. Once enabled, it can be downloaded from the Google Workspace Marketplace, allowing you to start polling within seconds.
It is worth noting that only users within your own domain will be able to vote on polls, preventing external participants in your groups from joining in. For those folks, you’ll still have to rely on the good-old method of gathering opinions — long chat threads that never seem to end.
