How to Make a Poll with Google Forms on iPhone (2026)
The Sixty-Second Poll
- New form at forms.google.com; the form title is the question (“Team lunch — where?”).
- One multiple choice question with the options. Nothing else — a second question turns your poll into a survey nobody finishes in a chat window.
- Settings → Presentation → View results summary — optionally give respondents a results link after submitting. Check that any text answers are appropriate to share too.
- Publish the form, check who can respond, and share the shortened link in the chat, or a QR on the meeting screen for in-room votes.
Variants: checkboxes for pick-several (with “select up to N” validation if it matters), or the star Rating question for instant sentiment — full tour of scale-type questions in our rating scales guide.
The One Real Design Decision
| You want | Setting | The cost |
|---|---|---|
| One response per Google account | Limit to 1 response on | Sign-in required; multiple accounts remain possible |
| No names or emails in responses | Email collection off; no identifying questions | Answers may still identify someone |
These settings are independent — see how identity works in Forms. For a casual lunch poll, you may accept duplicate submissions to avoid sign-in. For more consequential decisions, define voter eligibility separately; an account limit alone does not verify a person. Google explains the sign-in and summary settings here.
Running and Closing It
Watch results in the Responses tab. Google Forms now has a built-in scheduled close: open Published → Accepting responses → Set close date or response limit, choose the deadline, and save. State the date and time zone on the form. Manual closure remains available. See Google’s response management instructions.
For the poll-every-standup crowd: creating, sharing, and closing from Safari repeatedly is exactly the loop our Forms for Google Drive iOS app simplifies with native editing, QR sharing, and response notifications.
Keep a readable record of a quick poll
On iPhone and iPad. Forms for Google Drive helps you create and review a poll from iPhone/iPad. Keep the question short and decide whether identification is needed before distributing the link.
With the Workspace add-on. Use Form to Docs by pipiform when a team needs a document of the poll responses after the discussion. Check the export against the source results and add your interpretation separately. A document export is not a voting-integrity or statistical-analysis tool.
View Form to Docs and its features · Install the add-on · Get Forms for Google Drive on the App Store
The app and Workspace add-ons are separate pipiform products. Forms for Google Drive is US$59.99/year with a 3-day trial; check the App Store offer for your region. For Form to Docs, check the free allowance in your account; Premium is US$49.20/year or US$8/month, with separate one-time bundles. See current product pricing before subscribing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can people see poll results after voting?
Enable 'View results summary' in Settings → Presentation to give respondents a results link after submitting. The summary can expose full text answers as well as charts to anyone allowed to respond, so review its contents before sharing it.
How do I stop people voting twice?
Turn on 'Limit to 1 response' to restrict each Google account to one submission. Voters must sign in, which adds friction and excludes people without an account. This does not verify one unique person per vote: someone may have multiple accounts.
Can votes be anonymous?
You can avoid collecting names and email addresses. Requiring sign-in for one response per account does not itself record the username in responses; email collection is a separate setting. Answers may still identify someone, so explain what you collect and avoid promising absolute anonymity.
What is the best question type for a poll?
Multiple choice for pick-one, checkboxes for pick-several (add 'select up to 2' validation if needed), and the star Rating question for quick sentiment votes. One question total is the discipline that keeps a poll a poll — the moment a second question feels necessary, you are writing a survey.
How do I close the poll at a set time?
Google Forms now supports a built-in close date or response limit. Open Published, find Accepting responses, and select Set close date or response limit. Choose the deadline and save it. You can also stop accepting responses manually; state the cutoff and time zone on the form.
When has a poll outgrown Google Forms?
Consider a dedicated tool for a live audience results screen, ranked-choice or weighted voting, or formal elections requiring voter verification and audit trails. Google Forms is a practical free option for everyday choices such as a meeting date or lunch menu.