WhatsApp Channels might finally join the poll party

Whatsapp channels list screen.

What you need to know

• WhatsApp appears to be gearing up to introduce polls in channels, allowing users to engage in interactive voting.
• To ensure user privacy, the voting process in WhatsApp channels will be anonymous, with individual votes remaining invisible to other users.
• The feature is said to be in development, and it's anticipated to debut in future beta versions of the app.

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WhatsApp is apparently cooking up a new feature that will allow you to create and share polls right in your Channels.

WABetaInfo has caught a glimpse of this capability in the latest beta release for WhatsApp on Android (version 2.23.24.12). The feature is said to be in development at this time and will arrive for beta testers eventually. 

So, even if you're rocking the latest WhatsApp beta on your Android phone, you won't see the polls in Channels right away. It takes a bit of time for the integration to kick in.

As per the outlet, votes will be anonymous to safeguard user privacy. And when you participate in a poll, your phone number will stay hidden, so the channel owner and other followers won't see it. 

WhatsApp's polls feature in channels is also expected to include an option to limit responses to just one choice. It makes sense, given that a single-vote option is also available for polls in individual chats.

(Image credit: 9to5Google)

Right now, you can react to Channel posts with emojis and see how many people have reacted to them. You can also post photos, just like in regular chats.

When and if Channel polls roll out to the public, it will be super handy for content creators and businesses—they can get insights into their audience's preferences and opinions. As a result, businesses will be able to make informed decisions.

The ability to add polls to channels is likely to arrive in a future beta version before it's officially rolled out. Last month, WhatsApp was also seen working on letting you share voice notes and stickers in channels, signaling the company's intention to step up its game despite constantly playing catch-up with the leading messaging apps.