The NGL link being shared by Instagram users lets their friends and followers send them anonymous messages, but does the app really keep a sender's identity private? NGL stands for "not gonna lie," which is quite apt given the app's premise. It was launched in November 2021 by a team based in Venice Beach, California, and recently become popular on Instagram. Like most social media apps, Instagram doesn't offer any built-in anonymous features. There is an option to ask a question and create a quiz or poll in Stories, but users are always able to see the accounts that responded.
NGL is an app that's built to work with Instagram, letting users receive anonymous messages through a link that's meant to be shared in a user's Stories or bio. It's available on both Android and iPhone. After downloading it, users will be prompted to enter their Instagram handle, and this will generate a link that can be copied. Users can then open Instagram and add it to a Story by selecting 'Link' in the stickers menu and pasting in the NGL link. Alternatively, users can go to their Instagram profile page, click on 'Edit profile' and paste their NGL link in their bio.
Related: How To Hide Instagram Stories From Specific Users
Is The NGL App Anonymous?
Once the link has been shared to the user's Instagram Story or bio, other people will be able to click on the link to send anonymous messages, even if they don't have the NGL app installed. When a user receives an anonymous message, they can open the NGL app and tap on the Inbox tab at the top to view messages. There's an option to reply to the message, which shares the message as an Instagram story and lets the user post a public reply.
There's also a 'Who sent this' button displayed under each new message. Clicking on it says that Pro members will be able to view hints about who sent a message. Expectedly, this feature is paid, and there's a choice of three subscription tiers priced at $1.99, $4.99, or $9.99. However, the Pro subscription doesn't actually reveal the person who sent the message. Instead, it provides unhelpful hints such as the person's location and phone model. So to answer the question, yes, the NGL app is anonymous.
Is NGL Pro Worth It?
While one might assume upgrading to an NGL Pro subscription would bring additional benefits, particularly the option to see exactly who has sent the anonymous messages, that doesn’t appear to be the case. User reviews heavily indicate that the paid tiers are a ripoff and don’t actually help users determine who sent them what in most cases. The subscription prices are also charged weekly — not monthly — which quickly adds up.
The entire premise is built around anonymous messages, so revealing the sender doesn't really work in its favor. NGL says it's working on bringing "more specific hints" to pro subscribers, but it's unlikely to ever reveal the true identity of people who send anonymous messages. At the moment, the Pro subscription feels like a bit of a scam by the app developers. Either way, Instagram users can send messages on NGL links without worrying about their identity being revealed.
Source: NGL, Play Store, App Store
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