Meta has released a standalone app called “Forum,” a dedicated platform for Facebook Groups that positions itself as a space for community-driven discussions and direct answers from real users, similar to Reddit.
The app, first spotted by social media consultant Matt Navarra, is available on Apple’s iOS and requires a Facebook account to access. Upon signing in, users’ existing groups, profiles, and activity carry over automatically. Posts made in Forum appear on Facebook as well, and vice versa.
Forum’s feed differs from the standard Facebook feed by centering exclusively on conversations within a user’s groups rather than surfacing algorithmic content from friends, followed pages, or unrelated posts. The app also prompts users on first login to indicate their interests, which may be used to surface content from additional groups.
AI-Powered Features
As TechCrunch reports, Forum includes two AI features. The first, an “Ask” tab, aggregates responses from across a user’s groups to answer questions without requiring manual searches. The second is an admin assistant designed to help group moderators manage communities and moderate content.
While users can post under anonymized usernames, group administrators retain the ability to view members’ real identities, distinguishing Forum from fully anonymous platforms like Reddit.
Market Reaction
Reddit shares fell nearly 6% on Friday following Forum’s release, per CNBC. Truist analysts described the app as “an attempt by the company to compete against Reddit as an online forum for public discourse” and called it “a new threat.”
The analysts, who maintain a buy rating on Reddit’s stock, wrote that “the risk from this move, if successful, is a gradual erosion of Reddit’s utility for casual users who have less community loyalty to Reddit and simply want answers.”
Reddit’s stock is down roughly 40% in 2026, despite reporting its seventh consecutive quarter of revenue growth exceeding 60% in April. Meta reported revenue growth of 33% in its most recent quarter, according to CNBC.
Meta previously launched a standalone Groups app in 2014, which it discontinued in 2017. A Meta spokesperson told Engadget the company is still testing Forum. “We test lots of new products publicly to see what people find interesting and useful to their experiences across our apps,” the spokesperson said.
Forum is one of several new apps the tech giant has released in recent weeks, following the April launch of Instants, a disappearing photo-sharing app for Instagram users.
David Adler is an entrepreneur and freelance blog post writer who enjoys writing about business, entrepreneurship, travel and the influencer marketing space.
