# NGL app

> NGL spread through Instagram Stories before a $5 million settlement and an under-18 ban.

- Owner: NGL Labs (launch); Mode Mobile (acquirer)
- Kind: App & software
- Sector: Technology
- Seed date: 2021-12-10
- Peak date: Jun 2022
- Date basis: Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 34 (Niche, provisional), v1.2
- Mechanics: Shareable output, Platform jump, Press loop, Controversy, Maker origin

## Summary

NGL’s paid influencer tests and TikTok marketing preceded an Instagram Stories breakout. Downloads surged in June 2022 as users shared question cards. Regulators later alleged fabricated messages; a settlement barred under-18 users and required payments.

## Timeline

- 2021-10-27 — Instagram (Instagram) — Instagram opened Story link stickers to all users, removing the restriction on smaller accounts.
- 2021-12-10 — NGL Labs (App stores) — NGL launched on the Apple App Store, according to the FTC complaint.
- May 2022 — NGL Labs (App stores) — NGL launched on Android after paid influencer tests, according to NBC News and Hunter Isaacson.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/ngl-app

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “NGL app.” Case HIS-00402. Spread Score v1.2: 34/100. Updated 2026-10-13. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-00402