Meta Launches Forum: A Reddit-Style App Built Around Facebook Groups
Meta has quietly rolled out a new standalone app called Forum, designed to foster deeper community discussions — and it looks a lot like Reddit.
Meta's New App 'Forum' Takes Aim at Reddit
Meta has stealthily introduced a brand-new standalone application called Forum, signaling yet another push into community-driven social networking. Positioned as a direct rival to Reddit, the app is described by Meta as a "dedicated space built for deeper discussions, real answers and communities you care about."
The app's existence was first uncovered by well-known social media consultant Matt Navarra, who spotted it before any official announcement from the company.
How Forum Actually Works
Users can log into Forum using their existing Facebook credentials. Once signed in, the app automatically pulls in your Facebook Groups, profile information, and activity history. Like the standard Facebook experience, Forum allows users to post content under a nickname.
It's worth noting that your groups remain active on Facebook itself — any content you publish through Forum will simultaneously appear within your corresponding Facebook Groups, keeping both platforms in sync.
A Feed Built Around Real Conversations
One of Forum's defining features is its conversation-first feed. Rather than surfacing trending or algorithmically boosted content, Meta says Forum prioritizes what real people within your groups are actually discussing. The goal is to help users seamlessly continue conversations from where they last left off.
AI-Powered Features at the Core
Forum comes equipped with an intelligent "Ask" tab, which allows users to pose questions and receive compiled answers drawn from discussions happening across multiple groups. This AI-driven tool is designed to surface relevant community knowledge quickly and efficiently.
Administrators also benefit from a dedicated AI assistant built into the platform, helping them manage group activity and moderate content with greater ease.
Meta Has Tried This Before
This isn't Meta's first attempt at a standalone Groups experience. Back in 2014, the company launched a dedicated Groups app aimed at simplifying content sharing across communities. However, that project was discontinued in 2017 after failing to gain significant traction.
Whether Forum will fare better remains to be seen.
Part of a Broader App Expansion Strategy
Forum is just one of two new apps Meta has introduced in recent weeks. The company also recently launched Instants, an app that enables users to share disappearing photos with their Instagram connections — drawing clear comparisons to BeReal and Snapchat.
These launches are part of a sweeping new strategy at Meta. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees that AI-driven efficiencies are enabling the company to develop more apps at a faster pace than ever before.
Zuckerberg was quoted as saying, "So Chris and I have been talking about 'all right, well can we build 50 new apps?' Like, yeah probably. But we probably should start by doing a few before we just, like, ramp up trying to do 50 all at once" — referring to Meta's chief product officer, Chris Cox.
Is Meta Just Copying the Competition?
Despite the ambitious rollout, critics point out that Meta's newest apps heavily borrow from existing platforms. Instants mirrors concepts popularized by BeReal and Snapchat, while Meta Edits — launched last year — is widely regarded as a clone of ByteDance's CapCut video editing app.
While Meta may believe users are hungry for more applications, consumer appetite for redundant copycat apps is questionable at best. The company has not yet responded to media requests for comment regarding Forum.
