(Credit: Meta/Apple App Store)
Meta has quietly launched a new app for Facebook Groups called Forum. The app didn’t get a formal launch but was spotted on the iOS App Store by analyst Matt Navarra.
The App Store description suggests Meta is building it as a rival to Reddit. Forum is “a dedicated space built for deeper discussions, real answers, and the communities you care about,” the company says.
Once you log in to the app using your Facebook account, you’ll be greeted with a feed of updates from Groups you’ve already joined. You can also search for and join new groups based on your interests.
What makes the app a bit more Reddit-like is that you can publish comments or posts under a nickname. Note that everything you share on Forum will also be visible to Group members via Facebook.
There’s also an AI-powered Ask tab for quick answers from groups across Forum. It is the second option from the right on the bottom navigation bar, and you can tap it to seek the AI's opinions and recommendations.
Similar to querying on chatbot apps, you can drop a question into Ask, and it will pull up curated responses based on comments made by “real people” across Facebook Groups. It will also let you join those groups.
Group Admins get an additional AI feature: an AI assistant. It can help them “manage groups, moderate content, and keep their groups healthy,” Meta says.
For now, the app and its features may not be available in all regions. “We test lots of new products publicly to see what people find interesting and useful to their experiences across our apps,” a company spokesperson tells Navarra. The analyst has also shared videos and screenshots of the app interface on X and Threads.