Apps like NGL: how to choose a safer anonymous message app

Why people look for NGL alternatives

Anonymous Q&A links are fun: you post a question, friends answer without their names, and you share the best replies. But in 2024 the US Federal Trade Commission said NGL sent users fake messages and sold vague hints about senders through NGL Pro. NGL settled and is now barred from offering the app to anyone under 18. Many people simply want the same idea without those tricks.

What to check before you share any anonymous link

• Real messages only. Does the app say it never sends automated or fake messages? Be wary of generic messages that arrive moments after you post.
• No paid reveal. A subscription that promises hints about who sent a message is a red flag — device or rough location doesn't identify anyone.
• Filters you control. Look for filters for threats, slurs and bullying, a separate place for filtered messages, and your own blocked words.
• Block and report. You should be able to block a sender without them knowing, and report abuse.
• Age rules. The app should say clearly who can use it.
• Clear privacy. Read what the app stores about senders and whether it shares it.
• Obvious billing. If there's a subscription, the price and how often it renews should be impossible to miss.

What regulators have said about NGL and Sendit

NGL: in July 2024 the FTC and the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office said NGL sent computer-generated messages that looked like they came from real people, pushed users to pay for NGL Pro by implying it would reveal senders, and didn't clearly disclose a weekly charge. NGL agreed to a $5 million settlement and an under-18 ban, and the FTC opened a refund process in January 2026.

Sendit: in September 2025 a complaint was filed on the FTC's behalf against Iconic Hearts, the company behind Sendit, and its CEO. It alleges fake messages, a paid membership marketed as revealing who sent messages, unclear weekly billing and the collection of children's data. These are allegations; the case was still in court at the time of writing.

These are summaries of the regulators' public statements, linked below. A complaint is a set of allegations — check the sources for the latest status.

How Sustalk compares

• No fake or bot messages. If nobody writes, your inbox stays empty.
• No paid reveal and no hints. Senders' IP addresses aren't stored with their messages.
• An always-on filter for threats, slurs and messages urging people to hurt themselves, plus Standard and Strict levels, a link filter and your own filter words.
• A Hidden folder for filtered messages, plus block, report and pause.
• For people 18 and older. Free, with no ads.
• Reply on your story with a ready-made image of the question, the message and your answer.

Want to try it? Get your link in under a minute, then follow how to get anonymous messages on Instagram. If you're curious about the bigger picture, read are NGL messages fake?