Meta Tests AI-Powered Ask and a New Member Role in Forum, Its Standalone App for Facebook Groups

What Is Forum? What Meta Says

In a newsroom post published on September 29, 2026, Meta described Forum as a dedicated app it is exploring for people who want to engage more deeply with Facebook Groups. According to Meta, Forum syncs with users' groups on Facebook, bringing all of their groups together in one place so they can easily catch up on updates and join the discussions they care about.

Meta said Forum has been in testing since May and is currently available in the US on iOS and Android. Users sign in with their Facebook account to find their groups and discover new ones. Meta added that Forum is also introducing new tools for group admins (the people who run and moderate a group) and that it will share more about them in the coming weeks.

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New Features at a Glance: Ask, Topic Tags and a New Member Role

Ask: Using AI to Surface Real Experiences From Groups

According to Meta, Ask uses AI to surface existing group posts and comments so users can get answers grounded in real experiences. Content comes from groups users have already joined as well as public groups they have not joined, and users can jump straight from Ask into the group discussion.

• Compare options: Meta said that when users are weighing choices, Ask pulls together recommendations, such as picking running shoes, choosing a gift or deciding what book to read next.
• Pick up where you left off: Meta said the Ask home screen now suggests new questions based on recent searches.

Topic Tags: Browse Discussions by Interest

Meta said it is testing topic tags in Forum. Users may see tags such as "Solo Travel" or "Korean Food" on posts, and tapping a tag brings up more conversations on the same topic.

New Member Role: Replacing Contributor Badges and Group Experts

Meta said it is testing a new role that recognizes the top community voices in groups, replacing the former contributor badges and group expert role. According to Meta, the role is earned through contributions that genuinely help the community, such as answering questions, sharing firsthand experiences, offering practical advice and recommendations, and starting discussions that bring members together. The role comes with a new badge and new perks, including faster post publishing, though all posts must still follow Meta's Community Standards.

Meta said admins can grant the role directly, and Meta will also nominate members to help admins identify top voices. Members are notified when they receive the role and can remove it themselves at any time. The new role is starting to be tested in Forum in the US and on Facebook globally.

What It Means for Everyday Users

For users outside the US: Meta says Forum is available to download in the US and does not mention other countries, so Forum features such as Ask and topic tags may not be available to them in the near term. However, Meta said the new member role is also being tested on Facebook globally, so group members and admins worldwide may start to see the old contributor badges and group expert role replaced by the new role.

For group admins, Meta said they can grant the new role directly, and Meta will also nominate members for their consideration; members can remove the role themselves at any time. For regular members, Ask shows content from public groups they have not joined, which means posts and comments in public groups may reach more people when surfaced by AI. Knowing whether a group is public before posting helps you understand how visible your content will be.

It is worth noting that Ask's answers are drawn from experiences and recommendations shared by group members. They are personal opinions rather than professionally reviewed information, and this article does not constitute a recommendation to purchase any product.

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