How to Ask Anonymous Questions on Instagram

You can't ask anonymous questions on Instagram with Instagram's own tools: the Questions sticker shows the story owner who replied. To get truly anonymous questions, people add a link from a third-party app like NGL or Tellonym to their Story.

This guide covers how the Questions sticker actually works, where NGL and Tellonym stand in October 2026, step-by-step setup, and the risks, including what the FTC found when it acted against NGL in 2024.

Is the Instagram Questions sticker anonymous?

No. According to the Instagram Help Center, anyone who can see your Story can tap the Questions sticker and send a response, and you see who responded by swiping up on your own Story. The person replying is not hidden from you.

What does get hidden is their identity when you share the answer: if you reply to a response in a new Story, the sender's photo and username aren't shown to your viewers. Instagram described it the same way when it launched the sticker in 2018.

On Reels it's even more public. Responses to a Questions sticker on a reel appear as replies that anyone who can see the reel can read, and if your account is public, people can create reels that include your response.

As of October 25, 2026, the Help Center's description of the Questions sticker has no anonymous option. The "turn on Anonymous" step you may see in older guides isn't part of Instagram's official instructions.

How to use the Instagram Questions sticker

1. Take or choose a photo or video for your Story.
2. Tap Stickers at the top and pick Questions.
3. Write your question and choose the response type: Text for typed answers or Music to let people send you a song.
4. Place the sticker and share your Story.
5. Swipe up on your own Story to see responses.
6. Tap a response to share it. The sender's photo and username won't be shown.

If a sticker is missing, update the app from the App Store or Google Play. Instagram notes that not every sticker is available to everyone or on reels.

How to ask anonymous questions on Instagram with NGL and Tellonym

For real anonymity, you share a personal link from a third-party app. Followers tap it and send a message without logging in, and messages land in the app's inbox. Here's where the two best-known apps stand on October 25, 2026:

App	Owner	App Store age rating	Last updated	How it works
NGL: ask me anything	NGL Labs; acquired by Mode Mobile in December 2025	17+	iOS Sept 10, 2026; Android Oct 23, 2026	Share your NGL link, friends answer from your Story, responses arrive in NGL.
Tellonym	Callosum Software GmbH	17+	iOS and Android Oct 23, 2026	Share your Tellonym link; answer anonymous messages (Tells) and share them to Instagram and Snapchat.

Both are still live on the App Store and Google Play. Both are free, and Google Play lists ads and in-app purchases for each.

How to set up NGL on your Instagram Story

NGL sums it up in three steps: share your link, friends answer from your Story, get responses in NGL. The Instagram side uses the Link sticker described in the Help Center:

1. Download NGL from the App Store or Google Play and create your account. The app is rated 17+.
2. Copy your personal NGL link in the app, or use its share option.
3. Start a new Instagram Story, tap Stickers and choose Link.
4. Paste the address into the URL field. Tap See preview if you want to check how it opens.
5. Place the sticker and share. Viewers tap it, land on your NGL page and send an anonymous message.
6. Read messages in the NGL inbox and share your answers back to your Story.

Tellonym works the same way: copy your Tellonym link and add it with the Link sticker. You can also put either link in your bio so you keep getting messages after the Story expires.

What the FTC found about NGL

On July 9, 2024, the US Federal Trade Commission and the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office announced a settlement with NGL Labs and its founders. According to the FTC:

• NGL is banned from offering its app to anyone under 18 and must use a neutral age gate for new and existing users.
• The company and founders agreed to pay $5 million: $4.5 million in consumer redress and a $500,000 civil penalty.
• From 2022, NGL allegedly sent computer-generated messages made to look like they came from real people.
• Its claims that AI moderation filtered out cyberbullying were found to be misleading.
• NGL Pro was sold as a way to reveal senders but only gave hints such as send time, device type and rough location, at up to $9.99 a week, without clearly disclosing the recurring charge.

In December 2025 NGL was bought by phone-rewards company Mode Mobile, and the founders left. The current App Store listing still offers a paid NGL Pro tier with "hints about who sent each of their messages".

Risks of anonymous question apps

• Bullying and harassment: anonymity makes cruel messages easier. NGL says it uses Hive Moderation's automated filter, but the FTC case shows filters don't catch everything.
• Fake messages: the FTC found NGL had sent fake messages to drive engagement, so you can't be sure every message comes from a real follower.
• "Who sent this" subscriptions: paid hints don't reveal identities. If you subscribe, cancel through your App Store or Google Play subscription settings.
• Age limits: NGL and Tellonym are rated 17+ on the App Store, and the FTC order bars NGL from serving under-18s.
• Link sharing: screenshots and reshares can spread your link beyond your followers. Posting to Close Friends limits that.
• Personal details: don't share your address, school or phone number in answers, and report abusive messages in the app.

Want something your friends can all join in at once? Try our Gartic Phone prompt ideas. For official details, see the Instagram Help Center and the FTC's NGL announcement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you see who asked on an Instagram Questions sticker?

Yes, the Story owner can. Swipe up on your own Story to see who responded. When you share a response, the sender's photo and username are hidden from your viewers.

Does Instagram have an anonymous questions feature?

Not as of October 25, 2026. The Help Center lists no anonymous option for the Questions sticker. For anonymous questions, people add an NGL or Tellonym link with the Link sticker.

Can NGL show who sent a message?

Not reliably. NGL Pro only gives hints, and the FTC said those were limited to send time, device type and rough location and that the subscription was sold deceptively.

Can under-18s use NGL?

No. The FTC's July 2024 order bans NGL from serving users under 18 and requires an age gate. The app is also rated 17+ on the App Store.

Is NGL still available?

Yes. NGL was sold to Mode Mobile in December 2025 and is still on the App Store and Google Play in October 2026. The Android version was last updated on October 23, 2026.