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

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.