Comparison

A group poll for the friends who aren't on iMessage

Settle (settle.ink) is a group decision app: create a poll, share one link, and people vote in their browser with no app or account. That includes friends on Android, on older phones, or on a laptop.

Get it on the App Store Get it on Google Play

iMessage polls are great when everyone has a recent iPhone. This page is about when they don't.

Last verified: 28 October 2026

Side by side

Comparison between iMessage polls and the Settle app
Capability	iMessage polls	Settle
Who can vote	People using iMessage on an Apple device with iOS, iPadOS or macOS 26 or later. Others receive a message saying you sent a poll.	Anyone you send the link to, in any browser: iPhone, Android or a laptop. No app or account.
Where you share it	In an iMessage conversation.	Any chat app, text or email.
Options	Up to 12, and anyone in the poll can add more.	Two to six, as text or photos, set by the organizer.
How people answer	Tap the options you'd vote for: none, some or all.	Yes, Maybe or No on every option.
Closing the poll	Apple's guide does not describe an end time.	You pick a deadline. When it passes, the top pick wins, or you call it earlier.
After the decision	The plan carries on in the conversation.	A settled card, then date, time and place. Friends confirm from the same link; one tap adds a calendar entry or opens directions.

iMessage poll behaviour as documented in Apple's Messages User Guide, checked 28 October 2026. iMessage is a trademark of Apple Inc.; Settle is not affiliated with Apple. Features change, so check Apple's guide for current details.

Use an iMessage poll when

Everyone is on iMessage

If the whole group uses Apple devices on a recent OS, a Messages poll is right there.

Open brainstorming

When you want people to add their own options as they go.

Use Settle when

Mixed iPhone and Android groups

Friends on Android or older phones vote from the same link in their browser.

You need an answer by a time

A deadline closes the poll and the top pick wins.

The decision becomes a plan

Date, time, place, who's coming, directions and a calendar entry in one place.

How a Settle poll works

Create the poll in the Settle app with two to six options, as text or photos, and pick a deadline. Share the link in your group chat. Friends tap Yes, Maybe or No on each option in their browser, whatever phone they use. When the deadline passes, the top pick wins and Settle makes a settled card to send back to the group. See how the Settle app works.

Frequently asked questions

Can Android users vote in an iMessage poll?

No. Apple's guide says people need iMessage on an Apple device running OS 26 or later to start, see or vote in a poll. Others receive a message that you sent a poll. A Settle poll link opens in any browser, so Android users vote the same way as everyone else.

Does everyone need the Settle app?

No. Only the organizer uses the Settle app. Friends vote in any browser on iPhone, Android or a laptop, with no account or sign-up.

Can my group use different phones?

Yes. Friends vote in their browser on iPhone, Android or a laptop.

Is Settle free?

Creating and previewing polls is free, your first 3 polls send free, and voting is always free. Settle Pro is $6.99 a month or $49.99 a year, with a 14-day free trial.

One poll link for every phone in the group

Your first 3 polls are free, and your friends never need the app.