NGL, an anonymous messaging app that soared to the top of the Apple app charts in 2022 before reaching a settlement with federal regulators for targeting minors, has been acquired by Mode Mobile, a smartphone company that allows users to earn rewards.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Started in a WeWork, NGL never raised outside funding and stayed lean with only five employees. Named after an acronym for “Not Gonna Lie,” the app debuted in November 2021 and briefly shot to the No. 1 overall spot on Apple’s US App Store in 2022.
“Anonymous apps have long held a certain kind of allure for young people,” Business Insider wrote at the time in 2022. “They offer a sense of anticipation, a dopamine hit if the anonymous comments or questions are favorable. Will someone confess their feelings for you? Shower you with compliments? One can only hope.”
NGL surged in popularity, but much of that growth came from illegally targeting minors, according to a 2024 complaint filed by the Federal Trade Commission and Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.
“NGL marketed its app to kids and teens despite knowing that it was exposing them to cyberbullying and harassment,” FTC Chair Lina M. Khan said in a statement.
NGL and its founders paid a $5 million fine to settle and agreed to no longer market to minors.
Since then, cofounders Raj Vir and João Figueiredo have refocused the app on adults and strengthened safety measures.
“There was a short-term effect from restricting under-18 usage, followed by renewed momentum after refocusing on an 18+ audience,” said Figueiredo, who says the app now has reached the point where he believes it would be best to sell.
“NGL stands out as one of the most culturally relevant Gen-Z platforms operating at true global scale, with more than 125 million monthly active users and one of the strongest viral loops we’ve seen replicate across countries and cultures,” Dan Novaes, CEO and Co-founder of Mode Mobile, wrote in an email.
The company’s three employees will join Mode Mobile, while Vir and Figueiredo say they will move on to pursue other unspecified projects while also advising during the transition.
Other anonymous messaging apps, such as Ask.fm, Yik Yak, Yolo, and LMK, have also been criticized for facilitating cyberbullying and harassment. Ask.fm shut down last year.
