How to create a poll in Telegram: channel, group, phone and desktop, quiz mode and anonymity

Published: 8 November 2026

A poll in Telegram takes two taps: in a group or channel, tap the paperclip → Poll, type the question and the answer options, switch on multiple answers or quiz mode if you need them, and send. The poll is posted like a regular message and votes are counted at once. Below are the steps for phone and desktop, every setting explained, and answers to the usual questions: where to see results, how to retract a vote and why there is no poll in a private chat.

How to create a poll in Telegram on a phone

Open the group or channel where you want the vote.
Tap the paperclip in the message field (on iPhone it is the same icon to the left of the field).
Choose Poll.
Type the question — up to 300 characters.
Add the answer options — up to 12, each up to 100 characters.
Switch on what you need: Anonymous Voting, Multiple Answers, Quiz Mode.
Tap Create. The poll appears in the chat and voting starts immediately.

How to create a poll in Telegram on desktop

In Telegram Desktop open the chat and click the paperclip next to the message field.
Choose Poll (in some versions it sits in the ⋮ menu or under the attachment button).
Fill in the question and options, set the switches.
Click Create. In the web version at web.telegram.org the steps are the same.

How to make a poll in a Telegram channel

The same way as in a group: an admin with the right to post taps the paperclip → Poll. The one difference is that channel polls are always anonymous — the list of voters cannot be shown, because channel subscribers are not visible to each other. Everything else works: multiple answers, quiz mode, a time limit. Pin the poll so it does not sink in the feed: tap the message → Pin.

How to pin a message in Telegram

How to make a poll in a Telegram group

In a group any member can create a poll unless the admins have disabled it in the permissions: Edit → Permissions → Send Polls. If there is no Poll item in the paperclip menu, check that permission or ask an admin. Groups also allow public votes: with anonymity switched off, each option shows who voted for it, and the creator gets notifications about votes.

Poll settings: what each switch does

Telegram poll settings
Setting	What it does	Where available
Anonymous Voting	Hides who voted for what; switch off to see names	Groups; always on in channels
Multiple Answers	A voter can tick more than one option	Groups and channels
Quiz Mode	One or several correct answers, an explanation after answering, votes cannot be retracted	Groups and channels
Description	Extra text under the question	Groups and channels
Media in the question and options	A photo, video or location attached to the question and to each option	Groups and channels
Let members add options	Voters suggest their own options in an open poll	Groups and channels
Shuffle options	Each voter sees the options in a different order	Groups and channels
Time limit	The poll closes by itself; results can be hidden until it closes	Groups and channels
Disable revoting	The choice cannot be changed after answering	Groups and channels

Description, media, suggested options, shuffling and hidden results arrived in the March 2026 update; if an item is missing, update the app. Limits: question up to 300 characters, option up to 100, quiz explanation up to 200, up to 12 options.

How to create a quiz in Telegram

Switch on Quiz Mode when creating the poll, mark the correct answer (since 2026 there can be several) and optionally add an explanation: it is shown right after a person answers. Votes cannot be retracted in a quiz, so the results are honest. For a series of questions use the official @QuizBot: it bundles questions into a test that can be run in a group against the clock.

How to see poll results in Telegram

Percentages and vote counts are shown in the message itself — after you vote, or straight away if you created the poll. In a public poll tap an option or View Results to see who voted for what. All polls of a group or channel, running and finished, are collected on a dedicated tab in the chat profile.

How to retract a vote in a Telegram poll

In a regular poll tap the poll message and choose Retract Vote (right-click the poll on desktop). You can then vote again. Retracting is not possible in a quiz or in a poll where the creator disabled revoting.

How to stop, close or delete a poll

Stop: tap the poll → Stop Poll. Voting closes, the results stay visible. A stopped poll cannot be reopened.
Close automatically: set a time limit when creating the poll.
Delete: delete the poll message like any other. The results disappear with it.
The question and options cannot be edited after posting: stop the poll and create a new one.

Why is there no Poll button in Telegram?

It is a private chat: polls work only in groups and channels. Into a one-on-one chat a poll can only be forwarded.
Sending polls is disabled in the group — check the permissions or ask an admin.
In a channel you are not an admin with posting rights.
An outdated app — update Telegram.

How to create a poll with a bot

The built-in poll covers almost every case, but bots help when you need a multi-question test (@QuizBot), a poll in a private chat, or a vote built into your own bot through the Bot API. Third-party bots that promise “vote boosting” add nothing: votes in a poll are cast by real accounts, and TGFocus does not sell such a service.

Why channels need polls

A poll is the cheapest way to get a response from subscribers: it does not need a discussion group, as comments do, and it is more visible than reactions. Polls work well together with comments and reactions: all three show that a channel is read by people, not just a counter. But if posts have a small reach, a poll will collect few votes — views and subscribers come first.

How to enable comments in a Telegram channel

Telegram reactions: types and how to enable them

How to increase views on Telegram posts

How to create a Telegram channel: step by step