Ability to Delete a Poll in MS TEAMS Chat

Dear @Alberto Arias, 

Thanks for submitting your concern. I understand how important it is to keep conversations in Microsoft Teams clear and accurate, especially when a poll has been posted by mistake or is no longer needed. 

Microsoft Teams polls use Microsoft Forms to collect and manage responses. Once a poll is shared in a chat or channel, it becomes part of the conversation record for transparency and reference. You can close or delete the poll in Microsoft Forms at any time to stop collecting responses and remove the associated data. While these actions do not remove the poll card from the chat, they ensure that no further input is accepted and that the poll content is no longer active. 

If your goal is to delete the poll data and prevent further responses, you can follow the steps below:  

• In Microsoft Teams, locate the poll message and select the More options button. 

• Choose the option to open the poll in Microsoft Forms. 
• In Microsoft Forms, go to the Forms home page. 
• Select My forms, then locate the form created from the Teams poll. 
• Select More options next to the form and choose Delete. 

Please note that this action permanently deletes the poll and all collected responses. However, it does not remove the poll card from the Teams chat. 

Regarding removal of the poll card itself, this is currently not supported in Microsoft Teams. 

• For future polling needs, you may consider using the Polly app, if it is allowed by your organization. Polly provides more flexibility, including options to close and delete polls and export results more efficiently than Polls. 

Note: This app is shared by the community for your convenience and is provided by a third party. It is not managed, developed, or verified by Microsoft. We can’t guarantee the quality, safety, or suitability of the app or any content or software it may include. Please review carefully and ensure you understand any potential risks before using it. 

I completely understand how these limitations in Microsoft Forms can feel disruptive. It’s not just about aesthetics; these differences can genuinely affect how smoothly you work and navigate your day. 

As a forum moderator, I hope you understand that I don’t have the ability to modify or escalate product issues directly. However, I strongly recommend submitting your feedback through the Microsoft Forms · Community. This is the most effective way to ensure your voice reaches the product team and can be considered for future improvements.  

Once you've submitted your feedback, feel free to share the link here in the comments. I’ll be happy to upvote it to help bring more visibility. If you prefer, I can also submit this great idea on your behalf. Just let me know, and I’ll post it for you and share the link once it’s published. I’m here to help ensure your feedback gets the attention it deserves. 

Additionally, as other users have raised similar concerns and may not be aware of where to share their feedback, I hope this response helps clarify the situation and suggests a potential next step. Highlighting this information can make it more visible to others in the community who may be facing the same issue, making it easier for them to find guidance and contribute their feedback as well. 

Thank you again for your time and for raising this important usability concern. 

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In Teams, poll cards and their questions cannot be fully removed from chat by the poll creator once posted. Current controls focus on managing the poll’s lifecycle and results rather than deleting the card itself.

Available options depend on how the poll was created:

1. Polls/Microsoft Forms in meetings or chats
   • Poll creators (meeting owners/presenters) can:
     • Close the poll so it no longer accepts responses.
     • Export or open results in Excel.
     • Delete poll results from the Forms side.
   • In a meeting Polls tab or Forms response view, use the menu next to View results or More options for responses to close, export, or delete results, or to manage settings such as who can respond and whether responses are anonymous.
2. Survey app in Teams
   • For surveys posted in chat or channel, the survey card remains visible, but the creator can manage it:
     1. Select View Results on the survey card.
     2. In the result view, open Menu (…).
     3. Choose Close Survey (stop new responses), Change Due Date, or Delete Survey (remove the survey and its data from the Survey app).
   • This does not retroactively remove the original card message from the chat history; it controls the survey object and its availability.

Because Teams chat message deletion and retention are governed by Teams messaging behavior and any organization retention policies, there is no supported method in the provided documentation for a poll creator to completely remove the poll card itself from the chat once posted. The supported approach is to close or delete the poll/survey so it no longer accepts responses and, if needed, delete its results.

References:

• Create a poll in Microsoft Teams
• Poll attendees during a Teams meeting
• Make the switch from Poll to Microsoft Forms in Teams
• Create a survey in Microsoft Teams