Frequently asked questions
If something's not covered here, the answer is probably "not yet" — ChattyMaps is a small, focused tool.
Do I need an account?
No. Creating a poll or joining one mints an anonymous session stored in a browser cookie. There are no usernames, passwords, or emails.
What happens if I clear my cookies?
You lose creator controls and your voting identity for that poll. There is no account recovery or cross-device identity transfer — the session lives in that one browser.
What does "private" actually mean?
Private means unlisted, not access-controlled. A private poll is left off the public Discover page, but anyone who has its URL can still join and vote — the long, random poll ID makes casual guessing impractical, but treat the link like you would any shareable link.
Can I control who sees the votes?
Yes. Creators can switch a poll to aggregate-only mode: each participant then sees only their own row plus the overall totals, instead of everyone's names and individual votes.
Can a poll expire?
Optionally. When creating a poll you can use a one-day, one-week, or one-month preset, choose an exact date and time, or leave it open indefinitely. Exact input uses your browser's local time; the poll displays the equivalent deadline in UTC so it is unambiguous for the group. An expired poll stays viewable by its URL but becomes read-only — no new joins or votes.
Can I close voting early?
Yes. The creator can either close voting without choosing, or finalize one candidate as the chosen destination and close voting at the same time. A closed poll is read-only.
How is the final destination recorded?
While a poll is open, its creator can choose any current candidate as the final destination. ChattyMaps records that choice, closes voting, and shows the chosen destination instead of a changing leader.
Can I add or remove locations after creating the poll?
Yes, while the poll is still open. The creator can add locations or remove them, down to a minimum of two candidate locations.
Can I delete a poll?
Yes, the creator can delete a poll at any time. This permanently removes the poll along with its locations, participants, and votes.
Do results update live?
The poll page automatically refreshes every 12 seconds while it's open, so you generally don't need to reload to see new votes. It's short-interval polling, not instant push delivery.
Where does place search come from?
Place search is powered by OpenStreetMap's Nominatim service, queried through ChattyMaps' own server so your searches aren't sent to a third party directly from your browser.
Is ChattyMaps free?
Yes, there's no cost to create or join polls.