Meta Launches Forum, a Standalone App Built Around Facebook Groups

An iOS test that uses AI to surface answers for communities prompted investors to view it as a direct challenge to Reddit

Overview

Meta rolled out Forum as a limited public test on May 25 that runs on iOS 18+ in select markets and connects directly to users’ existing Facebook Groups so posts appear in both places.
The app includes an AI-powered Ask tab that aggregates answers from group discussions and an AI admin assistant designed to help moderators manage content and member requests.
Users can post under nicknames inside Forum while their activity stays linked to their Facebook accounts and group administrators retain access to real identities.
Investors treated the launch as competition for Reddit and pushed Reddit shares down about 5 percent, and Meta has not announced an Android release date while Reddit has not publicly responded.
Forum follows Meta’s recent push to ship focused standalone apps, echoes a 2014–2017 Groups experiment, and leaves open key questions about moderation rules, privacy safeguards, and broader rollout plans that will shape how communities and moderators are affected.