Meta test Forum, a separate app for Facebook Groups that recovers the logic of the forum in the midst of the AI era
Meta has launched a new app called Foruma product that has appeared without any major public announcement and that, as reported Engadget Based on information provided by Matt Navarra, it works as an independent app focused on Facebook Groups. The proposal revolves around thematic conversations, questions, recommendations and answers between users, that is, a format that is more reminiscent of the logic of forums and platforms like Reddit than the classic Facebook social feed.
The description in the App Store presents Forum as a “space dedicated to the conversations that matter most to you”created specifically for groups. This is not a new network from scratch, because to use it you still need to log in with a Facebook account. The user’s profile and activity are transferred to the application, although the possibility of using anonymized names is maintained, something that already exists within the Meta ecosystem. The administrators, however, will continue to see the real identity.
The main difference is in the structure of the content. Compared to the usual Facebook feed, where posts from friends, pages, groups and algorithmic suggestions are mixed, Forum organizes the experience around conversations from the user’s groups. As explained Engadgetthe application also asks when it is opened for the first time which topics are of most interest, therefore it is likely that don’t just limit yourself to already followed groupsbut also recommend related communities.
Forum mixes the old forum idea with new artificial intelligence features
This play is like time travel. Facebook already launched an independent app for groups in the past, although it ended up closing it in 2017. The difference now is the context. Meta no longer presents groups as an extra within Facebook, but as a possible interaction hub more useful than the big public feedincreasingly saturated with short videos, suggested content and publications with no direct relationship between people.
As expected, in 2026 the app incorporates a layer of artificial intelligence. Engadget details that Forum includes Aska tool with which the user can ask questions and obtain answers extracted from various groups, without having to manually search through old posts. This is a feature that Reddit has also incorporated, so it’s not new either. On the other hand, it also adds an assistant for administrators aimed at moderating and managing communities.
This detail shows how Meta tries to reinterpret the concept of a forum in a new context. It is no longer just about bringing together thematic conversations, but about adding a layer that summarizes interests, cross-references responses and reduces the effort of navigating scattered threads and debates. The idea of the forum returns, but passed through AI. In the midst of the race to put assistants everywhere, Meta seems to assume that many useful answers still lie in human communities organized around specific interests.
Meta continues testing formats while communities gain weight against the massive feed
An additional issue is that Meta has been testing separate applications and concepts for some time, although they often resemble already known formats. There is the case of Instants, the Instagram test inspired by the idea of sharing images quickly and without too much editing. Forum moves within that same logic, namely, launch public experiments to measure if there is a real gap before turning them into a bigger bet.
According to the thread published by Matt Navarra on Threads, the app especially rewards questions, recommendations and “real answers from real people”, a formulation that makes it quite clear the type of use that Meta wants to promote. For now, there is no guarantee of a global launch, because the company itself has indicated to Engadget that it is a test.
