Anonymous messaging app NGL is acquired by the EarnPhone maker Mode Mobile
Once a viral teen app mired in controversy, NGL is now joining Mode Mobile’s ad-driven smartphone business that turns user attention into cash.
Anonymous messaging app NGL has officially been acquired by Mode Mobile, the startup behind the “EarnPhone,” a smartphone that lets users earn money by performing everyday tasks while being shown a flood of ads. NGL, once a viral hit among teens, now become part of a very different kind of business model, one built on turning attention into cash.
NGL first made waves in late 2021, quickly climbing the App Store charts alongside other anonymous messaging apps like LMK, Sendit, and YOLO. The premise was simple: send or receive messages without revealing your identity. For teens, it was thrilling and sometimes dangerous.
The app wasn’t without controversy. Anonymous messaging apps are often linked to bullying, harassment, and even tragedies. Snapchat banned third-party apps like NGL in 2022 after a parent sued over her son’s suicide, which was allegedly influenced by the app.
Oluwajeminipe Fasheun-Motesho
On top of that, NGL’s own tactics raised eyebrows. The app reportedly sent fake messages to users that seemed to come from real people. Some users were duped into paying $9.99 a month for hints about who sent the messages, hints that were often fabricated. After a two-year investigation, the FTC stepped in, banning NGL from offering its app to minors and fining it $5 million.
With the acquisition, NGL’s founders, Raj Vir and João Figueiredo, are stepping away. Three remaining employees will join Mode Mobile. Given NGL’s history of “growth hacking,” it seems like a fitting match for a company that makes money by keeping users engaged and exposed to ads on their phones.
Mode Mobile’s smartphone, the EarnPhone, rewards users for ordinary activities: listening to music, playing games, or just browsing the web. Advertisers pay for user attention, and in theory, users can earn small amounts of cash in return for minor perks, like a coffee or a night out. Essentially, your phone becomes a mini digital gig economy, and NGL’s addictive messaging mechanics could fit right into that ecosystem.
The takeaway
The acquisition highlights how digital attention is the new currency. NGL, once notorious for controversial growth tactics and targeting teens, is now joining a platform where engagement literally pays. Whether this new chapter will turn NGL into a sustainable product or just another attention-grabbing experiment remains to be seen. One thing’s clear: anonymity, ads, and micro-earnings are a potent mix for the smartphone era.
Damilare Odedina
