The online expat ecosystem breaks into a few useful layers. Big international networks host country and city forums where years of practical questions are archived and searchable, and several also run local in-person events. General social platforms matter just as much: city-specific expat groups on the major social networks are often the fastest place to get a current answer about a specific office, school, or neighborhood, and nationality-based groups add home-language support.
Then there are functional tools: meetup platforms for hobbies and networking, language exchange apps, housing portals, and increasingly the local super-app or messaging platform the host country actually runs daily life on, which varies by region and is worth identifying early.
Two cautions from long experience. Information in forums ages badly, so check post dates and verify anything legal or financial against official sources. And treat marketplace deals, visa agents, and job offers found in these groups with the same skepticism you would anywhere online, since newcomer scams concentrate exactly where newcomers gather.