X

X's Grok AI Chatbot Comes to iOS as a Standalone App

The chatbot from Elon Musk's AI company was previously only available for users on X.

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The logo of AI chatbot Grok is displayed on a mobile screen with the same logo showing on a larger screen in the background
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Grok, the AI-powered assistant that debuted on the social platform X, is now available as a standalone app.

Elon Musk's startup xAI has launched Grok 2, the second iteration of its AI model, as a dedicated iOS app, allowing users to access its features without needing an X subscription. 

Users can log in using their email address, Apple account or other supported platforms. The app provides tools for answering questions and generating images, while also offering a tiered subscription plan for advanced features.

This release is xAI's first significant step away from its exclusive partnership with X (formerly Twitter), marking a bigger push to compete more directly with AI rivals, from Google Gemini to Meta AI and Claude.ai. By far the most popular is OpenAI's ChatGPT, which in November saw its number of visitors double, to 3.9 billion, according to Similarweb.

The app has drawn attention for its conversational, humorous tone. According to its App Store description, Grok also prioritizes privacy, in an effort to manage user data interactions securely.

Launched in November 2023, Grok was integrated into X and made available to paying subscribers. In December 2024, a free version became available with limited usage, such as 10 daily inquiries. 

X CEO Musk has positioned the assistant as a direct rival to prominent chatbots but with a distinct personality. At launch, he posted on X that Grok would be "funny" and "politically neutral."