WhatsApp is working on new poll privacy and expiration features on Android

WhatsApp has released a new Android update through the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.26.6.7.
What's new in this update? WhatsApp is working on a feature that allows users to manage poll privacy and expiration settings, and it will be available in a future update!

WhatsApp beta for Android 2.26.6.7: what's new?

In the post about the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.25.1.17 update, we announced a feature to assign photos to poll options in channels. This functionality allows channel owners to assign a specific photo to each poll option. Photo polls let voters have a visual representation of each choice, making it easier to understand and evaluate the options before submitting their vote. This is particularly useful in situations where text descriptions might not be sufficient or where more context can provide clarity.

In the following months, the feature was officially announced by WhatsApp. With this release, channel admins could finally share more advanced polls with their followers. In the meantime, WhatsApp has been developing additional features to further enhance the experience with polls. Following the release of the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.26.6.7 update, which is available on the Google Play Store, we discovered that WhatsApp is working on a feature that allows users to manage poll privacy and expiration settings.

As you can see from the attached screenshot, WhatsApp is exploring the implementation on a new section to better manage poll creation, scheduled for release in a future update. This section will give users more control over how others can participate to polls. The first option available in this section will allow voters to choose multiple answers when responding to a poll. It's worth noting that this feature was already released in a previous update, but WhatsApp plans to move it to this new section dedicated to poll management for better clarity.

The second option available in this new section will allow the poll creator to manage the visibility of voters. If this option is enabled, the names of poll participants will be hidden. This ensures that when someone votes, others cannot see who selected a particular answer. It's important to mention that not even the poll creator will know who responded to the poll. Even though individual names are hidden, the total vote count for each option remains visible to all participants.

The ability to manage the visibility of who partecipate in a poll is designed to add a new layer of privacy to group interactions. With this option, participants will be able to vote without revealing their identity to others in the group. This can encourage more honest responses, especially when the poll asks opinions about sensitive topics. As a result, choosing whether to keep votes anonymous or not will encourage open participation without any pressure.

The third option in this section will allow users to choose when the poll will expire. Users will be able to choose the exact date when the poll will no longer accept responses. When users share a poll with an expiration date, it will be clearly displayed within the poll. This ensures that everyone knows how much time they have to partecipate and respond. By default, polls do not have an expiration date, so users must set one manually each time they want to include it.

The feature to set an expiration to the poll will let users organize their polls better. When a poll is expired and it reaches its set end time, the app won't let users add a new vote. This will ensure that the results always remain accurate and final. With this restriction, users can trust that the final results reflect only the intended participation window. Additionally, poll creators can review results confidently at any time, even after some days, since they know the poll reflects the complete set of votes within the designated period.

The feature that allows users to manage poll privacy and expiration settings is under development, and it is planned for release in a future update. WhatsApp is currently refining how these new features will appear and operate within polls. Once testing is complete, these features will be gradually rolled out to beta testers, giving them the opportunity to explore the enhanced poll experience.

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