Meta's Forum App Adds AI-Powered Ask Tools and a New Member Role for Facebook Groups
Meta is adding new features to Forum, a standalone app it is exploring for people who want to go deeper on Facebook Groups. The updates include a new role for top community voices, two new ways to use the AI-based Ask tool, and topic labels on posts.
- Meta's Forum app for Facebook Groups is available to download in the US on iOS and Android, after testing began in May.
- A new role for top community voices replaces contributor badges and the group expert role, and brings faster-publishing posts.
- Ask, which uses AI to surface group posts and comments, is testing a compare feature and suggested follow-up questions.
- Topic labels such as Solo Travel or Korean Food are being tested to help users explore interests.
- Meta says it will share more on tools for admins in the coming weeks.
What Forum is and where it is available
According to Meta, Forum is a purpose-built app for people who want to engage more with Facebook Groups. It syncs with a user's existing groups on Facebook and brings them together in one place, so members can see what is new and join the conversations they care about. Meta says the app also introduces new tools for the admins who run these communities, and the company plans to share more on how it is building for admins in the coming weeks.
Meta began testing Forum in May. The app is now available to download in the US on iOS and Android. Users log in with their Facebook account to find their groups and discover new ones.
A new role for top community voices
Meta is testing a new role to recognize top contributors in groups. It replaces the company's previous contributor badges and the group expert role. According to Meta, the role reflects the quality of a member's contributions and the value they bring to their community.
The role is earned through contributions that help a community, such as:
- answering questions
- sharing firsthand experiences
- offering practical tips and recommendations
- starting conversations that bring people together
The role comes with a new badge and new benefits, including posts that publish faster. All posts remain subject to Meta's Community Standards. Admins can spot members making these contributions and grant the role directly, and Meta says it will also nominate members to help admins identify top voices. Members are notified when they receive the role and can remove themselves at any time. The test is starting on Forum in the US and on Facebook globally.
Ask gets comparison and follow-up features
On Forum, Ask uses AI to highlight existing group posts and comments, so users can get answers grounded in real experience. It surfaces conversations from groups a user is already in, plus public groups they have not joined yet, which Meta says can help people discover new communities. Users can jump from Ask straight into a group discussion.
Meta is testing two new ways to use Ask:
- Compare your options: When users are weighing choices, Ask pulls together recommendations. Meta gives the examples of picking a running shoe, choosing a gift or deciding what to read next.
- Pick up where you left off: The Ask home page now suggests new questions based on a user's recent searches, so they can keep exploring.
Topic labels for exploring interests
Meta is also testing a new way to explore interests on Forum. Users may start to see topic labels on posts, such as Solo Travel or Korean Food. Tapping a label leads to more conversations on the same topic, which Meta says makes it easier to dive deeper into the things people care about.
What it means for users and group admins
For members, the changes point to an app built around finding answers and recommendations from other people in groups rather than browsing a general feed. For admins, the new role gives them a direct way to recognize helpful members, with nominations from Meta as support. Most of the features are described as tests, and Meta says it will share more updates soon, including further details on its admin tools.
