Instagram to soon let you create polls in a post's comments section

Meta-owned Instagram will soon allow some users to create polls in the comments section of their posts, offering creators yet another way to milk their content for more engagement. Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced the test on his broadcast channel, noting that polls can be added to comments on regular feed posts as well as reels.

“We’re starting a small test to add a poll or vote on one in the comments of a feed post or reel. We’re always looking for new ways to interact with friends and creators,” Mosseri posted. It’s just a limited test for now, but Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated in his own update that it will be “rolling out to everyone soon.”

Polls in the comments section will look similar to those in Stories, where they’ve been available to users as a sticker for years, according to Engadget. As per Mosseri’s screenshot, other users will be able to see how many people voted on a specific poll. At this time, it’s unclear how long polls will remain open after they’re posted, or if users will be able to choose from different timeframes to continue receiving votes.

Instagram has been working on making the comments section of its posts more engaging. Its efforts include introducing the ability to post GIF images that spice up conversations that happen in the comments section. The ability to run a poll in the comments section is expected to increase engagement. The company’s plans also include multiple lists for sharing Stories, allowing users to reserve Stories for specific people.

Meanwhile, Meta has introduced a new feature that will let users block Instagram from collecting their data across the apps and websites they visit. As part of its expansion, the tech giant is adding the ability to disable this kind of tracking on Instagram, so users can check what businesses are sharing information with Meta, disconnect specific activities or clear the information that has been collected.

— Written with inputs from IANS