Meta launches Forum, a standalone app for Facebook Groups

Meta has released Forum, a standalone app for Facebook Groups, which is an existing feature within the main Facebook platform. The company seems to be positioning Forum as a platform that functions similarly to Reddit. Meta describes the app as a dedicated space built for deeper discussions, real answers, and communities that users care about. Social media consultant Matt Navarra first spotted the app, which allows users to sign in with their Facebook accounts to load their existing groups, profiles, and activity. Users can make posts using a nickname, and any content shared on Forum remains visible within their groups on the standard Facebook platform. Meta says the feeds are designed to show what real people are saying rather than just what is trending, and the app includes an AI-powered Ask tab to compile answers to questions from discussions across different groups, alongside an admin AI assistant for group management.

This is not the first time Meta has launched a standalone app for groups. The company previously rolled out a dedicated Groups app in 2014, which aimed to make it easier for users to share content across groups, but that effort was shuttered in 2017. The new Forum app represents a return to this standalone strategy.

Forum is one of two new apps from Meta in recent weeks. The company recently released Instants, an app that lets users share disappearing photos with Instagram friends. These releases reflect a broader shift in Meta’s product strategy. The Wall Street Journal reported that CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees the company aims to roll out many more apps than it has historically, aided by AI-driven efficiencies. Referring to chief product officer Chris Cox, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly said, “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.” However, critics note that Meta’s new apps are likely mostly copies of other popular services. For example, Instants borrows ideas from BeReal and Snapchat, while Meta Edits, which was previously launched by Meta, is described as a copy of ByteDance’s CapCut.

Why it matters

Meta is shifting its strategy to release a higher volume of standalone apps, driven by AI-driven efficiencies, despite criticism that these new offerings often mirror existing popular services.