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 → Show summary charts and text responses — the setting that makes it feel like a poll: every voter sees the running aggregate right after submitting.
- 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 vote per person | Limit to 1 response on | Voters must sign in to Google |
| Anonymous voting | Email collection off, no sign-in | Duplicates possible |
The two guarantees are mutually exclusive — the same identity mechanics as every Forms decision. Lunch polls: stay open and shrug at duplicates. Budget votes: require sign-in and say so.
Running and Closing It
Watch results live in the Responses tab (or the summary the voters see). Closing is manual — Accepting responses off — since stock Forms has no scheduled close; announce the cutoff on the form and flip the toggle, or let a deadline tool enforce it.
For the poll-every-standup crowd: creating, sharing, and closing from Safari repeatedly is exactly the loop our Forms for Google Drive iOS app compresses — a poll built natively in under a minute, QR in the share sheet, votes arriving as push notifications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can people see poll results after voting?
Yes, if you allow it: enable 'Show summary charts and text responses' in Settings → Presentation, and everyone who submits sees the aggregate charts — the closest Forms gets to a live poll experience. Results show after voting, not before, which conveniently also reduces bandwagon voting.
How do I stop people voting twice?
Turn on 'Limit to 1 response', accepting its trade-off: voters must sign in to a Google account, which slows casual participation and blocks people without accounts. For low-stakes polls, most organizers skip it and tolerate the occasional double vote; for decisions that matter, the sign-in cost is usually worth paying.
Can votes be anonymous?
Yes — a poll with email collection off, no sign-in requirement, and no name question stores nothing identifying. Note the tension with duplicate prevention: one-vote-per-person requires sign-in, anonymity forbids it. You can have either guarantee, not both — pick per poll and say so on the form.
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?
Stock Forms closes only manually — toggle 'Accepting responses' off in the Responses tab. For a scheduled close ('voting ends Friday 5pm'), use a deadline add-on or app that shuts the form automatically; announcing the cutoff on the form itself does half the work either way.
When has a poll outgrown Google Forms?
Three signals: you need results visible before voting (live-audience style), ranked-choice or weighted voting, or formal elections needing voter verification and audit trails. Those call for dedicated polling or election tools. For the everyday 'which date works' and 'pizza or tacos' class of decisions, Forms remains the fastest free answer.