Meta is rolling out Forum, a new standalone app built around Facebook Groups, with a focus on streamlining community conversations and knowledge sharing. Available now for download in the US on both iOS and Android, Forum offers a dedicated space for users heavily engaged in Facebook’s group ecosystem.
AI-Powered Answers with ‘Ask’
A key feature of the Forum app is ‘Ask’, an AI-powered tool that searches across Facebook Groups to provide answers to user questions. According to Meta, Ask doesn’t just deliver responses; it surfaces relevant posts and comments from existing group discussions, offering community-sourced insights. Notably, Ask can also pull information from public groups that a user isn’t currently a member of.
Meta is currently experimenting with Ask for recommendation-based queries – for example, finding the best products, gifts, or books. The company intends to allow users to seamlessly transition from the AI-generated response directly into the original group conversation to review the context behind the information.
Enhanced Discovery and Recognition
Beyond Ask, Forum introduces features designed to improve topic discovery and acknowledge valuable contributors. The app utilizes topic labels to help users find conversations centered around specific interests, such as “solo travel” or “Korean food”.
Meta is also testing a new “recognition” role within groups, intended to highlight members who consistently provide helpful advice, recommendations, and firsthand experiences. This feature aims to reward active and knowledgeable community participants.
Forum is presented as an experimental experience, with Meta committed to ongoing feedback collection and feature development. The company also stated it is working on additional tools to support group administrators.
Forum is not intended to replace the existing Facebook Groups feature; rather, it provides a dedicated interface for users who prioritize group interactions.
