How to settle "where are we eating?" in your group chat
Someone asks where everyone wants to eat. Six people send "idk, you pick." Twenty minutes later nothing is decided, and the person who finally chooses gets blamed for it.
If you are the one who always ends up choosing, this walkthrough is for you. Starting a vote takes about 30 seconds, and nobody has to download anything or make an account.
What you do
1. Start a vote. Open https://www.whereareweeating.app/?ch=blog in your phone's browser. You do not need to sign in to run a vote.
2. Pick the places. Choose the restaurants you want your friends to pick from. wawe can suggest nearby places from open map data. That data can be out of date, so check a place before you head out.
3. Set a deadline. You choose when voting ends, and the shortest option is 15 minutes. A clear deadline gives everyone a reason to answer, so the chat stops going in circles.
4. Paste the link in the chat. Copy the link and paste it into the group chat where you normally make plans. Friends tap it and vote in their browser. They do not download anything or sign up.
5. Get a winner. When the vote closes, wawe reveals the winning place. Send it to the chat and the decision is made.
Why this works for a group chat
The chat stalls because nobody wants to name a place first, and whoever does gets the blame. A shared vote moves the choice from one person to the group. If someone dislikes the result, everyone had the same link and the same deadline to vote.
A few things worth knowing
- wawe is free and has no ads.
- Voters' first names and typed text are removed 30 days after a vote closes.
- To try it first, run the practice vote. It stores nothing.
Try it on your next plan
Next time the chat asks "where are we eating?", start a vote, set a short deadline and paste the link.
Start a vote at https://www.whereareweeating.app/?ch=blog and have dinner settled before the chat warms up.