Facebook’s Rooms app get a much-needed “Explore” feature

Back in October Facebook launched a new application called Rooms. It is different from many of the social network’s other apps because unlike all of them, Rooms allows users to remain completely anonymous. Basically it lets users create forums on their smartphones, and all of it completely independent of their Facebook profiles. Today a new feature has been added to this application. The team behind Rooms writes on its official blog that ever since the app was released “tens of thousands” of rooms have been created on a variety of topics from smartphones to gaming consoles to depression support.

Facebook’s “Rooms” application, like many of the experiments put out by Facebook’s Creative Labs – which is also responsible for apps like Paper, Slingshot, Mentions and Groups – has not been an overnight viral sensation. However, it is notable for being the first app from Facebook that didn’t require users to go by their real name, allowing Rooms’ users to discuss topics of interest – including those where you may not want to be directly identified or outed to your friends, as with disease support groups, perhaps, among other things. But when Rooms first launched, it was difficult for users to find groups to join because of how the invitation process worked. Today, that’s been partially corrected with the launch of a new discovery feature within the app. When Rooms launched in October, anyone could create a room on a topic of their choosing, but there was no way for users to find these rooms in the app itself. Instead, users would have to get an invite from another person in order to get in. The decision was one that likely limited some of Rooms’ early adoption and initial traction.