Forum is Meta's new app for Facebook Groups, and it resembles Reddit quite closely.

      The newly launched standalone app, dubbed Forum, builds on Facebook Groups and introduces an AI feature called "Ask" along with an admin assistant. This release coincides with Mark Zuckerberg's discussions with staff about the possibility of creating 50 new apps. Meta rolled out Forum without a launch event, blog announcement, or significant press outreach.

      This product, described in the App Store as “a dedicated space built for deeper discussions, real answers, and communities you care about,” aims to be a hybrid of Reddit and Facebook, allowing users to engage in deeper conversations within their favorite communities. The initial discovery of the launch came from social media consultant Matt Navarra, with further coverage provided by TechCrunch, Engadget, and MacRumors. A Meta spokesperson informed Engadget that the app is still undergoing testing:

      “We test lots of new products publicly to see what people find interesting and useful to their experiences across our apps.”

      Users log in using their existing Facebook accounts, which enables their groups, profile, and activities to be transferred. Users can post under a nickname, similar to the main Facebook app, though group admins can still see their real identities. Any content shared on Forum will also appear in the relevant Facebook group and vice versa, positioning the product not as a distinct network, but rather as an alternate entry point to the existing Meta ecosystem.

      The primary distinction of this app lies in its feed. Unlike Facebook's main timeline that combines friends, Pages, algorithmic recommendations, and ads, Forum showcases discussions solely from the groups a user is part of, with suggestions to explore additional groups. It incorporates two AI functionalities as well.

      The first, "Ask," allows users to pose questions to the app and receive answers generated from group discussions, eliminating the hassle of searching through each group individually. The second feature is an admin assistant intended to aid moderators in managing groups and moderation tasks. Both functions are presented as time-saving tools rather than the main highlights of the app.

      This isn't the first standalone app focused on Groups from Meta. The company previously launched one in November 2014, which was discontinued in 2017 for unspecified reasons. The connection to Reddit is also noteworthy given the timing: Reddit went public in March 2024, has spent recent years licensing its data for AI training, and stands as a unique example of a community-discussion platform at scale. A Facebook-oriented competitor with an AI feature is at least a familiar format.

      Forum marks the second new app from Meta within about a month. In late April, the company began testing Instants, a standalone companion to Instagram for temporary photos that takes clear inspiration from BeReal and Snapchat. Additionally, Meta Edits, a video editor reminiscent of CapCut released last year, fits within a similar context.

      This sequence is intentional. Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal reported that Zuckerberg told employees in an internal Q&A that AI-driven efficiency enables Meta to create more products with smaller teams, and that he and chief product officer Chris Cox had considered shipping 50 new apps. He later tempered his statement, suggesting that while it may be possible, they should begin by launching a few before attempting to deliver all 50 at once.

      Forum is among the select few. The key question remains whether users desire a distinct app for Facebook groups equipped with an AI feature, a query the spokesperson's testing remark was crafted to evade. The experience with the 2014 Groups app offers one historical example, while the outcomes of Instants, Edits, and future releases will provide further insights.