Once a poll has been created in a GroupMe group chat, there is no way for the original poll creator or any group members to delete it. All polls remain visible in the group’s chat history forever ([1], [3], [5]).
While polls can be hidden from view or closed to stop new responses, deleted is not an option. This means any polls created, whether useful or mistaken, will always be accessible through GroupMe ([1]).
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Alternatives to Deleting GroupMe Polls
Since deleting is not possible, GroupMe offers some alternatives to remove polls from sight or limit responses:
Hide Polls
Any user can hide an active poll to remove it from the main chat screen. However, hidden polls are still accessible by tapping on “Expired Polls” ([1], [5]).
Close Polls
The poll creator can close an open poll which stops any new responses. Closed polls can also be re-opened anytime to allow more responses ([12], [16]).
End Group Chat
The nuclear option – ending the group chat entirely – will erase all previous messages and polls. But it also removes the ability to access any past information ([15]).
Managing GroupMe Polls
While GroupMe polls cannot be deleted, poll creators do have some options to update them:
Edit Typos
There is no way to edit a poll to fix typos or mistakes after it gets created. The only option is to close the poll and create a new one ([7]).
Change Privacy
By default, polls show who voted for what option. But poll creators can hide voter names to make polls anonymous ([3]).
Add/Change Options
Poll options also cannot be edited after creation. Adding or changing options would require closing the original poll and making a new one.
Close and Re-open
As mentioned earlier, poll creators can close and re-open polls anytime. This allows temporarily pausing polls without deleting results ([16]).
Why GroupMe Doesn’t Allow Poll Deletion
GroupMe is designed for group communication, so the company likely wants to maintain a complete, unmodified record of all group conversations. Deleting polls could make chat histories incomplete.
Enabling poll deletion also opens the door to potential abuse, like deleting polls only when “losing.” Thus GroupMe chose to not allow deleting polls after creation.
Summary
In summary, GroupMe does not provide any way to permanently erase polls after they’ve been created and shared in group chats:
- Hiding and closing polls are the only options to remove them from view
- Ending a group chat will delete all previous messages and polls
- No way to edit or update flawed polls after creation
- Polls remain visible in chat history and Expired Polls forever
So GroupMe forces users to live with the polls they create, for better or worse. I hope this clearly explains GroupMe’s poll deletion limitations and alternative options available! Let me know if you have any other questions.
