Meta launches Forum app to take on Reddit
Meta has launched a new platform called Forum. Users discovered the app in the App Store rather than through an official announcement. The app acts as a dedicated gateway to Facebook Groups. Its goal is to rekindle interest in Facebook, which is increasingly viewed as outdated, especially by younger audiences who tend to opt for platforms such as TikTok.
Forum is a direct rival to Reddit. It is designed to connect users with genuine discussions and niche communities, from hobbyists to fan clubs. Unlike the standard Facebook feed, which blends algorithmic suggestions with personal updates, Forum is centred solely on group conversations. New users specify their interests when signing up so that their content can be personalised.
You need a Facebook account to access the service. The app does allow the use of aliases, so users can maintain a degree of privacy among their peers, but group admins can still see members’ real identities. The app is not a standalone service, but an alternative interface: posts made in Forum also appear on Facebook, and vice versa.
To avoid this project going the way of its 2014 predecessor, Lifestage, Meta has integrated artificial intelligence. Key features include an “Ask a question” tool, which pulls answers from multiple groups into a single response, and AI-driven moderation support for group admins.
Asked about the low-key launch, a Meta spokesperson explained that the company regularly runs public tests to gauge user interest and usefulness. It remains unclear whether Forum will grow into a permanent pillar of Meta’s ecosystem or ultimately be shelved as yet another failed experiment, according to BFM.
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