Facebook Groups Just Got Their Own Reddit Clone

Facebook Groups Just Got Their Own Reddit Clone- Meta appears to be taking another shot at reinventing online communities. The company has quietly released a new standalone app called “Forum,” a platform built around Facebook Groups that strongly resembles Reddit in both design and purpose.

The app, first spotted by social media consultant Matt Navarra, is being described by Meta as a space focused on “deeper discussions, real answers and communities you care about.” While Facebook has spent years prioritizing short-form video, creator content and AI-powered recommendations, Forum signals a shift back toward conversation-driven social media.

Unlike the main Facebook app, which often feels crowded with Reels, suggested posts and viral content, Forum is centered almost entirely around group discussions. The app pulls in a user’s existing Facebook Groups, activity and profile while presenting them in a cleaner, discussion-first format. Users can also post using nicknames, adding a layer of separation from the identity-heavy structure traditionally associated with Facebook.

Despite the Reddit-style presentation, Forum is not a completely separate platform. Meta says all posts and interactions remain connected to Facebook Groups, meaning anything shared through Forum will still appear inside the standard Facebook ecosystem. In many ways, the app feels less like a brand-new social network and more like a redesigned front-end for Facebook’s community features.

The company’s decision to focus on Groups is not surprising. Even as younger users have drifted toward platforms like TikTok and Discord, Facebook Groups have remained one of Meta’s strongest products. Millions of people still rely on groups daily for parenting advice, hobby discussions, local recommendations, buying and selling items, travel tips and niche communities. While the main Facebook feed has increasingly become an entertainment platform, Groups continue to function as one of the internet’s most active spaces for practical conversations.

Forum seems designed to capitalize on that behavior.

One of the app’s biggest features is an AI-powered “Ask” tab that allows users to submit questions and receive answers generated from conversations happening across different groups. Instead of searching through years of posts manually, users can get summarized responses compiled by Meta’s AI systems. The feature reflects a broader trend in tech, where companies are trying to turn community-generated content into searchable AI knowledge bases.

Meta is also introducing AI tools for administrators. Group admins can reportedly use AI assistants to help moderate discussions, manage content and enforce community guidelines more efficiently. Given how difficult moderation has become for large online communities, these tools could become a major selling point for power users and group owners.

Still, Forum’s launch raises an important question: do people actually want another standalone social media app?

Meta has a long history of experimenting with spin-off apps. Some, like Messenger and Instagram Threads, managed to gain traction, while many others disappeared after failing to attract users. In fact, this is not Meta’s first attempt at creating a dedicated Groups experience. Back in 2014, Facebook launched a standalone Groups app aimed at making communities easier to manage and navigate. The app was eventually shut down in 2017.

This time, however, the timing may work more in Meta’s favor. Online communities have become increasingly valuable in the AI era because they contain massive amounts of human conversation, recommendations and expertise. Platforms like Reddit have already benefited from this shift, especially as AI companies seek high-quality discussion data to train and improve their systems.

That may explain why Forum looks so similar to Reddit in the first place.

The app borrows heavily from Reddit’s formula: discussion threads, community-focused feeds, pseudonymous posting and question-driven interaction. But there is still one major difference between the two platforms. Reddit’s culture thrives on relative anonymity, whereas Forum remains tied to Facebook accounts and Meta’s broader identity system. Even if users appear under nicknames publicly, the platform still exists within Facebook’s infrastructure.

That could shape the tone of conversations significantly. Reddit communities are often known for candid discussions, humor and chaotic internet culture. Facebook Groups, on the other hand, tend to be more identity-based and personal. Forum sits somewhere in between, attempting to combine Reddit’s structure with Facebook’s trust and moderation systems.

The launch also reflects a larger shift happening inside Meta. Recent reports suggest CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants the company to experiment with far more standalone apps, partly because AI-driven development tools now allow teams to build products faster and at lower cost. In recent months, Meta has launched multiple new apps, including Instants, a disappearing photo-sharing platform that resembles BeReal and Snapchat, and Edits, a CapCut-style video editing app.

Whether Forum succeeds or not, the app sends a clear message about where social media may be heading next. After years dominated by influencers, endless scrolling and algorithmic entertainment, tech companies appear to be rediscovering the value of smaller communities and real conversations.

Ironically, Meta may now be chasing the exact thing Facebook once naturally had before the modern social feed took over. A Final Bow at the Ed Sullivan Stage with Colbert and McCartney | Maya