Illinois App, Polls How-to
Users can send a multiple-choice question to their friends with a unique four-digit poll number or to their groups via the Groups feature. Votes will show up on the app in real-time and are automatically saved after the poll is closed. Poll creators can always view the results of closed polls when they need them again.
Content Policy: Content posted to the Illinois app is governed by the Student Code of the University of Illinois. Content that violates the standards set forth in the code will be removed. Users may report content in violation of the Student Code to the Office of the Dean of Students. deanofstudents@illinois.edu
Feature Requirements
Privacy Level |
Level 4 or Higher (Create a Poll) Level 1 or Higher (Respond to Poll) |
NetID Sign in | Required (Profile > Sign In/Sign Out) |
Profile Setting | University Student and University Employee (Profile> Who Are You) |
Create a New Quick Poll
- Tap Browse to enter the Browse menu.
- Tap the Polls tile.
- Tap Create a Poll at the bottom of the screen.
- Type in a question into the Question field.
Note: Your question must be under 120 characters in length. - Type in at least two options in the Option 1 and Option 2 fields.
Note: Your options but be under 25 characters in length. - Tap Add Option + if you would like to enter more than two answer choices.
Note: You may enter up to four (4) options. You cannot delete an option or leave it blank once you add it to the list of choices. - A. Tap Start Poll to publish the poll so it goes live for other users. OR B. Tap Save poll for starting later to save the contents of the poll to be published later.
Note: You cannot edit a Poll once it has been published or saved. - Tap End Poll to close the poll and publish the results.
Note: Closed Quick Polls cannot be reopened or edited. - Tap the orange trash can icon in the upper right-hand corner of the Poll to delete it permanently.
Customize a Poll
- Tap the Allow Selecting More Than One Choice switch to allow users to select more than one answer option or leave it in the off position.
- Tap the Allow Repeat Votes switch to allow users to vote in the same poll more than one time or leave it in the off position.
- Tap the Hide Results Until Poll Ends switch to hide the number of votes from users until the poll is closed and the final results are published.
Note: Poll creators can still view the votes in real time even when this switch is turned on. This switch only affects what other voters in the poll can see.
Respond to a Quick Poll
- Obtain the unique four-digit poll number from the Quick Poll creator.
- Tap Browse to enter the Browse menu.
- Tap the Polls tile and tap View Polls.
- Tap Find Poll at the top of the screen.
- Enter the four-digit poll number in the empty fields and tap Continue.
- Tap any option to cast your vote in the poll.
Note: You cannot change your vote once you have tapped an option. - Tap Done Voting to leave the poll.
Note: You may or may not be able to view the votes in real time depending on whether the poll creator chose to show or hide the results.
View the Results of a Closed Poll
- Tap Browse to enter the Browse menu.
- Tap the Polls tile and tap View Polls.
- A. Tap Recent Polls to view a list of any recent polls in which you participated.
B. Tap Group Polls to view the results of polls created for a Group.
C. Tap My Polls to view a list of polls you created. - Scroll down until you find the poll you want to view.
Note: You may need to tap End Poll if you have hidden the results and would like to publish them for other users to view as well.
Quick Poll Tips
- Did you know you can add Polls to the Favorites tab for quick access? To manage your Favorites page, go to Favorites > Customize.
- Polls questions should be close-ended questions that can be feasibly answered with one or several plausible answer choices.
- You can create a True/False or a Yes/No question by adding only two options to your poll.
- The answer options in a Polls should be balanced and cover a variety of opinions for the best results. Send when you are finished composing the message. Your reply will show in a thread under the original message.