How do you write a good prompt for Grok?

Describe the audience, purpose, length, tone, and desired format. Clear instructions usually yield a more useful result.

Can Grok analyze entire PDF files?

Yes, Grok can analyze uploaded PDFs and documents. Ask for page numbers next to key points so the result can be verified.

How do you get better images and videos with Grok?

Work in stages. Start with subject, style, and composition, then adjust lighting, camera angle, motion, and details in follow-up messages.

What shouldn’t you store in Grok?

Avoid storing passwords, Social Security numbers, confidential documents, customer data, and other sensitive personal or business information.

Grok AI: Try Grok 4.5 Free for Chat, Image & Video

Q: How do you get Grok to document its answers?

Ask Grok to use recent, trustworthy sources, separate verified facts from rumors, and include citations for the key claims.

Grok AI — try Grok for free

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Grok is an AI assistant from xAI that can answer questions, browse the web, analyze files, write code, and generate both images and video.

Grok started as the slightly more irreverent AI chatbot on the social network X (formerly Twitter), but the service has evolved rapidly. Today you can use Grok directly in your browser, as a standalone app for iPhone and Android, or through X.

We tested Grok in the web app on a Windows 11 PC and compared the experience with AI tools many Americans already use. The first thing we noticed was speed. Responses arrive quickly, the interface is clean, and access to current information from both the web and X makes Grok especially interesting for news, trends, and fast‑moving topics.

The current version, Grok 4.5, became available in July 2026 on grok.com, X, and the iOS and Android apps. The model is designed for longer conversations, coding, research, document work, and multi‑step tasks.

What is Grok AI?

Grok Imagine generates an AI image from the prompt “Elon Musk in Austin, Texas” — During our test, we asked Grok to create an image of Elon Musk in Austin, Texas. Grok Imagine delivered the result in seconds directly in the chat.

Grok works much like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude: you write a question or task, and the AI model tries to deliver a useful answer.

You can use Grok to:

write and rewrite text
explain difficult topics
search for up‑to‑date information
analyze images, PDFs, and documents
write, explain, and debug code
generate images
create short AI videos
have voice conversations
summarize long texts and web pages

What sets Grok apart is its connection to X. The assistant can search both regular websites and public content on X, which is useful for breaking news, politics, sports, technology, and other areas where the latest information may not yet appear in traditional articles.

That said, use a bit of healthy skepticism. A post on X isn’t automatically a reliable source just because Grok can find it fast.

Grok 4.5 is the current AI model, with more on the way

Grok 4.5 is the model most users encounter on Grok’s website and in the mobile apps.

According to xAI, the model is better at maintaining context in longer conversations, understanding user intent, and completing end‑to‑end tasks. It can, for example, build a spreadsheet, turn an outline into a presentation, draw charts, and extract key information from a long PDF.

In practice, that makes Grok more useful than a classic text‑only chatbot. You can start with a loose idea, have Grok research the topic, and then continue in the same workflow with text, a table, an illustration, or a short video.

Grok 4.5 is also available via xAI’s API and has been added as a model in tools like GitHub Copilot. That’s mainly interesting for developers, while everyday users can simply open Grok in the browser or app.

Grok 4.6, Grok 4.7 and Grok 5.x are already on the way

Development is moving unusually fast. On August 4, 2026, Elon Musk said Grok 4.6 is expected to launch later the same week. He has also indicated that the following model, Grok 4.7, is planned to arrive a few weeks later.

Musk has additionally signaled more Grok models this year, including a Grok 5‑series model before the end of 2026. xAI has not yet announced a final release date, full specifications, or official comparative benchmarks for Grok 5.x, so the timeline should be seen as an ambition rather than a guarantee.

For everyday users, that means Grok is likely to change noticeably in a short time. Grok 4.5 remains the current, officially documented primary model, but the version number may soon be replaced by newer releases with improvements in reasoning, coding, and longer workflows.

Grok Imagine creates images and AI videos

Grok Imagine is the creative side of the service. You can generate images from a description, edit existing images, and turn images into short videos.

For example, you can upload a product photo and ask Grok to:

change the background
add or remove objects
create a new camera angle
change the image style
animate the subject
add camera motion and sound

The current video model supports text‑to‑video and image‑to‑video. xAI has also introduced reference images, voice references, and video output up to 1080p, though the exact options and usage limits depend on your plan and rollout.

It’s one of Grok’s most exciting features, but also where you’ll hit the free‑tier limits fastest. Video generation requires far more compute than a typical chat.

Does Grok work well in English?

Grok declines the AI video request and instead generates an image from South Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas — In our test, Grok couldn’t produce the requested AI video. The service suggested a still image instead based on the prompt about Elon Musk on South Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas.

Yes, you can write to Grok in English and it will typically respond in English.

We found that everyday English questions were understood without special settings. For more complex tasks, it still pays to be precise and explain who the text is for, the tone you want, and how the result should be formatted.

For example:

Write a plain‑English explanation for a non‑technical reader. Use short paragraphs, concrete examples, and avoid jargon.

Grok’s official product page lists support for more than 30 languages, and the Android app likewise offers an English description and interface in Google Play.

Grok Free or SuperGrok?

You can use Grok for free, but the free tier limits the number of requests and the most demanding features.

The official pricing page lists these main plans:

Plan	Price	Best for
Grok Free	$0 per month	Light chat, search, and trying features
SuperGrok	$30 per month	Frequent use, higher limits, and advanced features

SuperGrok raises usage limits, unlocks the newest models and Expert features, and expands image and video generation. Prices in the App Store and Google Play may vary due to state sales tax and each store’s billing system.

For most personal users, the free version is a sensible place to start. SuperGrok makes the most sense if you use Grok daily for work, research, programming, or producing images and video.

Grok vs ChatGPT — what’s the difference?

Grok searches the web and X to check whether Elon Musk has visited Austin, Texas — We tested Grok’s research feature with a local question about Elon Musk and Austin, Texas. Grok searched both the web and X, showed its process, and compiled an answer with citations.

Grok and ChatGPT overlap in many areas. Both can write text, browse the web, analyze images, work with documents, and help with programming.

The clearest difference is Grok’s direct connection to X. If you’re looking for reactions to a news story, a tech launch, or an event that happened in the last few minutes, Grok can often surface relevant posts very quickly.

ChatGPT still feels like the more polished all‑in‑one assistant for broad workloads, while Grok stands out for:

information and discussions from X
a more direct and sometimes humorous tone
the combination of chat, research, and Grok Imagine
fast access to live internet discussions
creative images and short AI videos

It isn’t necessarily Grok or ChatGPT. Many users can rely on ChatGPT for daily work and open Grok when a task needs current information or content from X.

Grok for research and up-to-the-minute news

Live search is one of the features that gives Grok real value beyond a standard search engine. You can ask the service to investigate a topic, compare multiple sources, and present differences or disagreements.

We recommend explicitly asking Grok to show its sources. Otherwise, a well‑written answer can sound more certain than the documentation supports.

A good prompt is:

Research the topic using recent, trustworthy sources. Separate confirmed facts from rumors, and include a citation with each key claim.

Grok can provide answers with citations from the web and X, but you should still open the key links and check the date, author, and original context.

Files, projects and personal instructions

You can upload documents, images, and PDFs to Grok and ask questions about the material. It’s handy when you need a report summarized, a contract explained, or specific details found in a long document.

Grok has also added Projects, Skills, and various connections to external services. Skills can store recurring rules—such as a particular writing style, document format, or workflow—that Grok should follow across conversations. In a May 2026 update, handling of projects, connections, and file uploads was improved, and the displayed file size limit changed to 100 MB.

That makes Grok interesting if you want more than one‑off answers and prefer to build a more persistent AI assistant for your work.

Is Grok safe to use?

Only access Grok via grok.com, the official App Store page, or Google Play. There are many fake AI apps and websites that imitate well‑known services.

As with other AI assistants, avoid uploading:

passwords and login credentials
Social Security numbers (SSNs) and sensitive personal data
confidential client documents
internal company information
private photos of others without their consent

xAI states in its privacy policy that users should not include personal information in prompts. Depending on how you use Grok and which settings you choose, the service may collect content from messages, files, images, audio, and video.

For everyday research, brainstorming, and writing help, Grok is easy to get started with. For legal, medical, financial, or other critical decisions, always verify answers with a qualified professional or original source.

Top 5 Grok tips

Grok becomes far more useful when you give precise instructions and require documentation for the most important claims.

Ask Grok to document its answers

Grok can pull very fresh information from both the web and X, but speed isn’t the same as accuracy. Ask the assistant to use trustworthy sources and place a citation next to every key claim.

Try this prompt: Investigate the topic using recent, trustworthy sources. Separate verified facts from rumors, and cite a source for every key claim.

Describe the finished result precisely

Tell Grok who the content is for, how long it should be, and what tone to use. We got noticeably better results when we described the desired outcome instead of typing a single topic.

Example: Write a plain‑English beginner’s guide of about 500 words. Use short paragraphs, concrete examples, and end with a brief FAQ.

Upload the entire document

If Grok is analyzing a report or PDF, it’s usually better to upload the full document than to paste isolated excerpts. Also ask Grok to include page numbers so you can quickly verify details in the original.

Try this prompt: Find the document’s five most important points and include the page number after each one. Also note anything that’s unclear or lacks documentation.

Create images and videos in steps

Start with subject, style, and aspect ratio. Then tweak lighting, camera angle, motion, and small details in follow‑up messages. In our tests, several short refinements often beat one very long, complex prompt.

Good workflow: Generate the image first, adjust the composition, then use the final image as the basis for a short video.

Save persistent instructions — but not sensitive data

Use Grok’s Skills, Projects, or personal instructions for recurring requirements around language, tone, and formatting. It can save surprising amounts of time. Do not store passwords, Social Security numbers, customer data, or other confidential information.

A practical example: Save an instruction to always write in English, use clear subheads, and flag any statements that should be fact‑checked.

Grok