How to Make a Poll on Instagram

Ask your followers questions that they can answer

By

Elise Moreau

Updated on March 7, 2021

Instagram

The Ultimate Guide to Instagram

What to Know

In a story, take a photo or video, edit as desired, select Sticker > Poll, enter a question, and then enter custom answers if desired.
In a direct message, take a photo or video, edit it, select Sticker > Poll, enter a question, customize the answers if desired, then tap Done.

This article explains how to create a poll in an Instagram story or a direct message.

Since full functionality for the stories and direct messaging features can only be used on the official Instagram mobile app, you can only create Instagram polls on the app and not in a web browser at Instagram.com.

Make a Poll in Instagram Stories

Instagram stories are casual photos or short videos that share what you're doing at the moment with your followers. When you post a new story, it appears in your followers' home tabs as a bubble at the top of the feed and disappears automatically after 24 hours.

Open the Instagram app on your iOS or Android device, and if necessary, sign in to your account or switch to the account you want to use.
Select your Story profile picture bubble at the top of the home feed or swipe right on the screen from the home feed to access the story camera tab.
Take a photo or record a video to create your story. Use filters, stickers, or editing effects to customize your story the way you want.
From the story preview tab, select the sticker button at the top of the screen.
Select the Poll sticker.
Type a question you want to ask your followers in the Ask a question field. It can be a yes/no question (which is the poll's default answer), or you can ask a question that involves customizing two answers (such as black/white, hot/cold, today/tomorrow, or on/off).
To customize your two poll answers, select the Yes button and type your desired answer in the field. Do the same with the No button.
When you're happy with your poll, select Done in the upper-right corner.
Your poll appears over your story. Select and hold your finger on it to drag it around the screen. Pinch two fingers on it and drag your fingers outward or inward to customize its size.
Once you're happy with how your poll looks on your story, select Your Story in the lower-left corner of the screen to post it to your stories, select Close Friends to share it only with your closest friends in the app, or select Send To and choose friends to send it to them.

Make a Poll in Instagram Direct Messages

Instagram direct messages are private messages you send and receive from people you follow and who follow you back. You can have direct message conversations with individuals or groups.

In the Instagram app, access your direct message inbox by selecting the messages button (which looks like a paper airplane) in the upper-right corner of the home feed.
Select the pencil icon in the upper-right corner to start a new message and choose your recipients. Or, select an existing message to continue the conversation.

A faster method for sending a poll as a direct message is to select the camera icon beside any existing message in your inbox. This bypasses having to open the message conversation first.
In the new or existing message conversation, select the blue camera button in the message field at the bottom to display the camera tab.
Take a photo or record a video for your message. Customize your photo or video message the way you want with a filter, stickers, edits, or anything else you like.
From the photo/video message preview, select the sticker button at the top of the screen.
Select the Poll sticker.
Type a question you want to ask your message recipients in the Ask a question field. You can ask it as a yes/no question, or you can ask a question that has two custom answers.
To customize your two poll answers, select the YES button and type your answer in the field. Repeat with the NO button.
When you're finished creating your poll, select Done in the upper-right corner.
Your poll appears over your photo or video message. Select and hold it to drag it around the screen or pinch two fingers and drag them outward or inward to customize its size.
When you're finished, select Done in the upper-right corner.
Direct messages can be replayed by default. However, you can change this to be viewed only once by selecting View Once at the bottom of the screen. If you want to keep the message in the chat indefinitely, so it never disappears, select Keep in Chat.

If you want to allow your recipients time to think about their answer, set the message to Allow Replay or Keep in Chat.
Select the friend's profile picture bubble in the lower center of the screen to send your photo/video message. Or, add other recipients by selecting Send to Others and choosing people from the list to send it to them.

When to Use Story Polls vs. Direct Message Polls

Instagram offers two ways to conduct polls, but which one should you use? And when? Here are some tips:

Use story polls when:

You have a massive following that you want to keep engaged.
You have a general question that can apply to everyone.
You want to better understand what your followers do or don't like about the content you post.

Use direct message polls when:

You want to gather information from a group of friends rather than a large group of strangers.
Your question is specific and only applies to certain people.
You don't want to overwhelm your followers with too much story content and risk losing followers because of it.

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