Let us make something clear from the off – Facebook Groups can be incredible community resources if properly moderated and members abide by the rules of the group and Facebook at large.

The problem though, is that Facebook Groups are a relic of the platform’s early days. That could be about to change thanks to a massive update that – we aren’t alone in saying – looks a whole lot like Discord.

First off, the way you access groups you are a part of is being made more user friendly. This will take the form of a side bars that will showcase the latest activity within a group such as whether an image was posted.

Within Groups, there are changes afoot as well. Admins will now be able to create separate channels within a group. So within a community group one could have a channel for rentals, security, donations or whatever the admins desire.

The feature we’re curious about are community chat channels.

“A place for people to message, collaborate and form deeper relationships around topics in a more real-time way across both Facebook Groups and Messenger. So when you’re in your new BBQ lovers group and need real-time feedback while attempting your first brisket, an admin can create a chat for that,” writes vice president of communities for the Facebook App, Maria Smith in a press release.

As an aside – what is it with Meta and BBQ? The company has a problem.

Anyway, burned meat aside, Groups will now also feature audio channels which wouldn’t be the first foray into the media by a social media platform, but we like Meta’s odds here.

Rather than Twitter Spaces or Clubhouse, Groups could be a great way for communities to have conversations among each other rather than trying to lure listeners into a conversation.

We aren’t sure how these features will be received but we believe that they are for the better. When we will start to see these changes is unclear but keep an eye out on your Facebook app for an update.