Abstract: A method for updating a message exchanged over a communications network during an instant messaging communication session between a plurality of participants each associated with a participant device, the message comprising a plurality of updateable fields, the method comprising: maintaining state information of each of the plurality of updateable fields in a memory; detecting at least one selection by one or more of the plurality of participants to edit at least one of the updateable fields; updating the state information of the at least one of said plurality of updateable fields in response to the detection; and communicating the updated state information to at least one of the participants of the instant messaging communication session.

Abstract: An instant messaging communication method implemented by a client application when executed on a user device, the method comprising: detecting selection by a user of the user device to transmit a poll message to at least one further device of an instant messaging communication session over a communications network; receiving a search term input by the user using an input device of the user device; transmitting a search request comprising the search term over the communications network to a network entity configured to perform a search for web content; and automatically populating a plurality of poll option fields in a poll message to be transmitted to the at least one further device based on search results received from the network entity in response to transmitting the search request.