Facebook Groups have always been one of the platform’s strongest arguments for staying relevant. Now Meta is giving them their own front door.
In its official announcement, Meta introduced Forum, a dedicated app for people who want to go deeper into Facebook Groups. The app is available to download in the US on iOS and Android, and syncs with the groups people already use on Facebook.
Facebook Groups Get Their Own Destination
Forum is designed to make group activity feel less like something discovered between feed updates and more like a destination in its own right. Users can see what is new, participate in conversations and discover public groups they have not joined yet.
Meta is also testing topic labels such as Solo Travel and Korean Food. Tapping a label surfaces more conversations around that interest, giving people a way to browse through group discussions without already knowing which community to search for.
The app’s Ask feature pushes that behavior further. Using AI, it highlights existing posts and comments from groups to help answer questions with firsthand experiences. Meta says Ask can compare recommendations, such as running shoes or books, and suggest follow-up questions based on recent searches.
The Valuable Member Is Becoming More Visible
Forum also introduces a new way to recognize useful contributors. The role replaces Facebook’s previous contributor badges and group expert role, and is based on contributions such as answering questions, sharing practical advice and starting conversations that bring people together.
Admins can grant the role directly, while Meta will also nominate members for consideration. Recipients get a new badge and benefits including faster post publishing, although all posts remain subject to Facebook’s Community Standards.
That combination is the more interesting part of Forum. Meta is not simply separating Groups from the main Facebook app. It is trying to make community expertise easier to find, then use AI to turn that expertise into a discovery and recommendation layer. The strategic consequence is clear: Facebook wants Groups to behave less like a collection of private rooms and more like a searchable network of lived experience.