Hello everyone,
Since October 31, 2026, **phpBBHost**, the **free, non-profit hosting service for phpBB forums**, has undergone one of its biggest waves of improvements. New ways to interact, more extensive customization, enhanced security, and a completely redesigned website: here's a jargon-free overview of what's changing for your forum members and for you as forum founders.
At a glance
React to a post with one click
Every post can now receive a reaction:
. Members can express how they feel without adding another reply, and the post author is notified. Conversations become more engaging without sacrificing readability.
Solved topics and best answers
On support forums, the right answer could sometimes get lost in the middle of a discussion. The topic author (or a moderator) can now mark the reply that solved their problem. It is highlighted at the top of every topic page, and the topic is marked "Solved" in topic listings and search results.
Member badges and levels
Posts published, reactions received, and best answers all earn points. Six levels are displayed beneath each author's name, while nine badges and progress toward the next level appear on their profile. A great way to recognize the most active members of your community.
Never lose a post again
With automatic drafts, the topic title and text currently being written are saved in the member's browser. Lost connection or accidentally closed tab? The draft is offered again on the next page. Nothing is sent to our servers: drafts remain on the member's device.
Better media, announcements, and link management
The formatting toolbar has been completely redesigned: one single toolbar, organized into clearly defined groups (font, size, color, alignment, links, images, videos, and tables), with forms that open directly beneath their respective buttons. Image hosting is integrated, and the same toolbar is available in the Quick Reply editor. Icons are loaded all at once, making the editor faster to display.
Dark mode is now available across all forums
Reading late at night is easier on the eyes with dark mode, now available on all hosted forums and on the phpBBHost website. A button next to the language selector lets you switch between light and dark mode. Contrast levels have been individually checked to ensure readability, and the colors selected by the forum founder are preserved in both modes.
Forum founders: customize your forum without touching code
A comprehensive style editor
The style editor has taken a major step forward:
Statistics to help you manage your community
Every founder now has access to forum statistics covering the last 7, 30, or 90 days: visits, visitors, page views, traffic sources, new posts, topics and members, most active members, and most viewed topics. These figures are measured directly by the platform, without relying on third-party tracking services.
My Forums: more independence
From My Forums, forum owners can now independently edit their forum's title, description, and directory category, or remove their forum from the directory. The status of each forum application (pending, approved, or rejected, with the reason provided) is also displayed there.
A forum ready to use from day one
Getting started with a new forum has been redesigned: the forum is installed in the founder's language, a "Your forum is ready" email is sent, a customized welcome topic is created, and a "Getting Started" card in the forum administration panel guides you through each step and automatically checks off tasks as you complete your settings.
Security: protecting your accounts and forums
Simplified two-factor authentication
Enabling two-factor authentication is now easier, with two clear options: a passkey or an authenticator app, along with backup codes that you can copy or download. Your current password is required to enable it, ensuring that an unattended open session alone cannot be used to change your account's security settings.
Fewer bots, less spam
The linking of accounts across different forums has been removed. Each account remains independent, eliminating a potential source of security vulnerabilities. When an account is deleted, hosted images are retained so that existing posts remain intact.
A completely redesigned phpBBHost website
A phpBB-inspired design for a consistent experience
The public phpBBHost website has been rebuilt in the style of phpBB: the homepage, news, forum directory, forum application pages, and Activity Feed now share the same look and feel as your forums. The website and the support forum are now part of a single unified space, with a shared menu beneath the header, optimized for phones and tablets.
The Activity Feed
The Activity Feed brings together activity from the forums you've created and the support forum: replies, quotes, mentions, reactions, private messages, and new topics. With the For You, Unread, Mentions, and Private Messages tabs, search, offline access to recently viewed topics, device notifications, and an email digest of unread content, you can follow your communities without opening ten different tabs. The Discover tab also lets you browse forums in the directory and explore their public topics.
An installable application
The website and forums can be installed as an app on your phone or computer, with push notifications and access to the homepage and recently viewed topics even when offline.
Clearer error pages
If a forum cannot be found, has been deleted, or is temporarily unavailable, visitors now see an explicit error page matching the website's design, available in both light and dark modes, with suggestions for continuing their navigation.
Clearer terms and privacy policy
The Terms of Use, Forum Founders' Terms, Legal Notice, and Privacy Policy have been rewritten in clearer language and incorporated into phpBB's native pages, following the original text. A "My Data" export is available, and Google Analytics has been removed from hosted forums.
Faster, more accessible, and better optimized for search engines
A series of PageSpeed-driven optimizations makes both forums and the website lighter and faster:
Create your free phpBB forum
phpBBHost remains true to its promise: free phpBB forum hosting, operated on a non-profit basis, with phpBB 3.3 installed, configured in French, and kept up to date for you. Every application is personally reviewed, and once approved, your forum is handed over to you along with its founder account.
Planning to build a community? Introduce your project on our support forum and apply for your own forum today.
Best regards,
Bryx
Since October 31, 2026, **phpBBHost**, the **free, non-profit hosting service for phpBB forums**, has undergone one of its biggest waves of improvements. New ways to interact, more extensive customization, enhanced security, and a completely redesigned website: here's a jargon-free overview of what's changing for your forum members and for you as forum founders.
At a glance
- More engaging forums: reactions, solved topics, badges and levels, and automatic drafts.
- A dark mode available across all forums and the website.
- A style editor to give your forum its own colors, with 24 ready-to-use color schemes.
- A single, modern editing toolbar for composing posts.
- Simplified two-factor authentication using a passkey or an authenticator app.
- A redesigned phpBBHost website with a phpBB-inspired look, improved speed, and better accessibility.
- An Activity Feed to keep track of the forums you've created at a glance.
React to a post with one click
Every post can now receive a reaction:
. Members can express how they feel without adding another reply, and the post author is notified. Conversations become more engaging without sacrificing readability.Solved topics and best answers
On support forums, the right answer could sometimes get lost in the middle of a discussion. The topic author (or a moderator) can now mark the reply that solved their problem. It is highlighted at the top of every topic page, and the topic is marked "Solved" in topic listings and search results.
Member badges and levels
Posts published, reactions received, and best answers all earn points. Six levels are displayed beneath each author's name, while nine badges and progress toward the next level appear on their profile. A great way to recognize the most active members of your community.
Never lose a post again
With automatic drafts, the topic title and text currently being written are saved in the member's browser. Lost connection or accidentally closed tab? The draft is offered again on the next page. Nothing is sent to our servers: drafts remain on the member's device.
Better media, announcements, and link management
- Embedded media: paste a video link and it will automatically appear in your post.
- Forum announcements: a banner to notify all members about an event or an important change.
- External links open in a new window, so visitors don't leave your forum.
- Last 24 hours activity and password strength indicators during registration are now integrated into the platform.
- Mentions (@username) are now fully translated into French.
The formatting toolbar has been completely redesigned: one single toolbar, organized into clearly defined groups (font, size, color, alignment, links, images, videos, and tables), with forms that open directly beneath their respective buttons. Image hosting is integrated, and the same toolbar is available in the Quick Reply editor. Icons are loaded all at once, making the editor faster to display.
Dark mode is now available across all forums
Reading late at night is easier on the eyes with dark mode, now available on all hosted forums and on the phpBBHost website. A button next to the language selector lets you switch between light and dark mode. Contrast levels have been individually checked to ensure readability, and the colors selected by the forum founder are preserved in both modes.
Forum founders: customize your forum without touching code
A comprehensive style editor
The style editor has taken a major step forward:
- 24 ready-to-use color schemes, carefully calculated to ensure readability;
- a two-color quick palette with automatic contrast checking;
- a draft system for colors and images, with a live preview on your actual forum before publishing;
- an integrated image editor: crop, rotate, adjust hue, brightness, transparency, rounded corners, and more, directly in your browser;
- one-click recoloring of all forum and topic icons.
Statistics to help you manage your community
Every founder now has access to forum statistics covering the last 7, 30, or 90 days: visits, visitors, page views, traffic sources, new posts, topics and members, most active members, and most viewed topics. These figures are measured directly by the platform, without relying on third-party tracking services.
My Forums: more independence
From My Forums, forum owners can now independently edit their forum's title, description, and directory category, or remove their forum from the directory. The status of each forum application (pending, approved, or rejected, with the reason provided) is also displayed there.
A forum ready to use from day one
Getting started with a new forum has been redesigned: the forum is installed in the founder's language, a "Your forum is ready" email is sent, a customized welcome topic is created, and a "Getting Started" card in the forum administration panel guides you through each step and automatically checks off tasks as you complete your settings.
Security: protecting your accounts and forums
Simplified two-factor authentication
Enabling two-factor authentication is now easier, with two clear options: a passkey or an authenticator app, along with backup codes that you can copy or download. Your current password is required to enable it, ensuring that an unattended open session alone cannot be used to change your account's security settings.
Fewer bots, less spam
- A human verification system now protects registration across all forums, without requiring users to solve a CAPTCHA or relying on an external service.
- Moderators can report a spammer to Stop Forum Spam directly from their post.
- Abuse reports are sent to the relevant founders in their own language.
The linking of accounts across different forums has been removed. Each account remains independent, eliminating a potential source of security vulnerabilities. When an account is deleted, hosted images are retained so that existing posts remain intact.
A completely redesigned phpBBHost website
A phpBB-inspired design for a consistent experience
The public phpBBHost website has been rebuilt in the style of phpBB: the homepage, news, forum directory, forum application pages, and Activity Feed now share the same look and feel as your forums. The website and the support forum are now part of a single unified space, with a shared menu beneath the header, optimized for phones and tablets.
The Activity Feed
The Activity Feed brings together activity from the forums you've created and the support forum: replies, quotes, mentions, reactions, private messages, and new topics. With the For You, Unread, Mentions, and Private Messages tabs, search, offline access to recently viewed topics, device notifications, and an email digest of unread content, you can follow your communities without opening ten different tabs. The Discover tab also lets you browse forums in the directory and explore their public topics.
An installable application
The website and forums can be installed as an app on your phone or computer, with push notifications and access to the homepage and recently viewed topics even when offline.
Clearer error pages
If a forum cannot be found, has been deleted, or is temporarily unavailable, visitors now see an explicit error page matching the website's design, available in both light and dark modes, with suggestions for continuing their navigation.
Clearer terms and privacy policy
The Terms of Use, Forum Founders' Terms, Legal Notice, and Privacy Policy have been rewritten in clearer language and incorporated into phpBB's native pages, following the original text. A "My Data" export is available, and Google Analytics has been removed from hosted forums.
Faster, more accessible, and better optimized for search engines
A series of PageSpeed-driven optimizations makes both forums and the website lighter and faster:
- fewer requests per page, with features loaded only when needed;
- the logo and icon font are prioritized, while images benefit from long-term caching;
- improved contrast, properly labeled buttons and menus for screen readers, and no layout shifts on mobile devices.
Create your free phpBB forum
phpBBHost remains true to its promise: free phpBB forum hosting, operated on a non-profit basis, with phpBB 3.3 installed, configured in French, and kept up to date for you. Every application is personally reviewed, and once approved, your forum is handed over to you along with its founder account.
Planning to build a community? Introduce your project on our support forum and apply for your own forum today.
Best regards,
Bryx