How to Use Grok AI on X: The Step-by-Step Guide Most People Skip

HIGHLIGHTS

What this guide covers:

• Which subscription tier unlocks which Grok features, with verified pricing
• How to find and open Grok inside both the X app and x.com
• DeepSearch and Think Mode explained clearly
• Prompt structures that produce sharper, more useful answers
• Real limitations worth knowing before you upgrade

Why Grok Works Differently Than Other AI Assistants

Most AI chatbots answer from a fixed knowledge cutoff. Grok does something structurally different: it taps directly into the live stream of public posts on X, giving it access to conversations and events as they unfold. That integration with real-time X data is the core reason Grok produces different results than ChatGPT or Claude for questions about current events, trending topics, or public sentiment.

The practical implication is significant. Asking Grok about “what people on X think about [topic]” often yields fresher, more socially calibrated answers than any other major model. It is not just a smarter chatbot sitting on old training data, it is a chatbot wired into a live social feed. That distinction matters most when news is breaking or a trend is still forming.

Subscription Tiers: Verified Pricing and What You Actually Get

Grok is no longer tied exclusively to X Premium. As of late 2025, xAI launched standalone subscription plans that let you access Grok directly without subscribing to the X social platform. Here is the full verified pricing picture as of early 2026:

One important distinction most users miss: X Premium ($8/month) and SuperGrok ($30/month) serve different purposes. X Premium bundles Grok access with the social platform the checkmark, creator tools, and ad reduction. SuperGrok is a standalone AI subscription focused purely on Grok’s capabilities, with no social platform features included. For content creators and researchers who want maximum AI performance without the social layer, SuperGrok at $30/month is the stronger option.

Also Read Grok AI Proves Its Range: 10 Uses That Deliver Real Results

Free Tier: What You Can and Cannot Do

The free Basic tier on grok.com gives new users a genuine starting point. It includes access to limited Grok models, the Aurora image generator, voice input, and basic Projects and Tasks features. What it does not include is access to Grok 4, advanced Think or DeepSearch modes, or the Imagine image model.

Within the X-embedded interface specifically, free users are capped at 10 messages per 2-hour rolling window for text chat. Eligibility also requires the X account to be at least seven days old and to have a verified phone number attached controls designed to prevent automated abuse. These caps are dynamic and can change based on server load or policy updates without prior notice, so treat any specific number as approximate rather than fixed.

How to Open Grok on X and Grok.com

Whether you use the X app, x.com, or the standalone interface, the access path is short.

On the X web interface (x.com):

1. Log in with an eligible subscription account
2. Locate the Grok icon in the left-side navigation sidebar
3. Click to open the Grok chat interface embedded within X
4. Type your prompt in the chat input field and press Enter

On the X mobile app:

1. Open the X app and check the bottom navigation bar or profile menu
2. Tap the Grok icon or “Ask Grok” button (placement varies by device and app version)
3. If the icon is not visible, go to Settings, then Account, and confirm your plan includes Grok access
4. Tap to enter the chat interface and begin prompting

Via grok.com (standalone):

Grok is also fully accessible at grok.com, independently of the X social feed. The interface here is slightly different from the X-embedded version but all core features are identical. This is the better environment for focused research or writing tasks where timeline distractions are counterproductive.

Features Most Users Never Find

The basic chat interface is only the surface layer. Grok contains several modes that meaningfully change what the tool can do.

DeepSearch

DeepSearch sends Grok on an extended research task rather than generating a quick answer from its internal model. It scans multiple web and X sources, synthesizes the findings, and returns a structured response with citations. The process takes longer than standard chat but produces substantially more detailed output for research briefs, competitive analysis, or technical questions.

Think Mode

When activated, Think Mode causes Grok to work through a problem step by step and display its reasoning chain before delivering a final answer. This is not cosmetic. Reviewing the reasoning chain lets you catch flawed assumptions before they make it into your work particularly valuable for multi-step logic problems, content outlines, or any query where a confident-sounding wrong answer would carry real cost.

Grok 4 Multimodal Capabilities

Grok 4 introduced camera-aware assistance and voice chat. This means you can point your phone camera at a document, a chart, or a printed page and ask Grok questions about what it sees without needing to type or manually copy text. Voice input is available even on the free Basic tier.

Aurora vs. Imagine Image Models

Grok offers two image generation tools depending on your tier. Aurora is the basic image model available to free users. Imagine is the more capable model included in SuperGrok and above, designed for higher-quality creative image output. Neither is available through X Premium’s free tier in its full form; paid standalone access via SuperGrok is needed for Imagine.

Fun Mode vs. Standard Mode

Grok offers two distinct personalities. Standard Mode produces factual, focused responses suited to research and professional use. Fun Mode is built for wit, irreverence, and creative lateral thinking. Toggling between the two deliberately rather than leaving it on a default makes a meaningful difference in output tone and perceived reliability.

Prompt Structures That Consistently Work

The quality of a Grok response is shaped primarily by how the prompt is built. Vague input produces vague output. The following four-part structure outperforms open-ended questions across virtually every use case.

The Four-Part Prompt Structure:

1. Role context – Tell Grok who it is responding as. Example: “You are a senior data analyst reviewing Q4 performance metrics.”
2. Task definition – State exactly what you need produced. Example: “Write a 300-word summary of the following data points.”
3. Constraints – Define scope, time range, tone, or format. Example: “Use only sources from the past 60 days and cite each claim with a URL.”
4. Output structure – Specify how the answer should be formatted. Example: “Deliver the answer as a numbered list followed by a one-paragraph conclusion.”

Practical Prompt Examples:

For real-time X sentiment:

“Summarize how people on X are reacting to [event] in the last 24 hours. Include dominant sentiment patterns and note any emerging narratives.”

For cited research:

“Research recent developments in [topic] from the past 60 days. List key findings in a table with source URLs and publication dates.”

For content ideation:

“Act as a content strategist. Generate 10 article ideas about [subject] for a tech-focused audience. Format each as a headline plus one-sentence rationale.”

For iterative refinement, avoid restarting the session. Instead, use short follow-up prompts after an initial answer: “Expand point 3 with a real-world example” or “Rewrite the second paragraph at a more technical level.” Grok holds context across a session well within the token limits of your plan, and building on a prior answer is consistently more efficient than starting fresh.

Limitations Worth Knowing Before You Commit

Grok’s real-time X integration is a genuine differentiator, but it is not a substitute for primary source verification. The assistant reflects public X conversations as they appear, and those conversations contain misinformation and speculation alongside accurate reporting.

Key limitations to keep in mind:

• Free-tier users on X are capped at 10 messages per 2-hour rolling window, which is sufficient for casual queries but inadequate for sustained research work
• DeepSearch and Think Mode have been reported as occasionally missing from the interface even when enabled in settings, likely tied to staged rollouts by subscription tier
• Image generation in its more capable form (the Imagine model) requires SuperGrok or above; the free Basic tier only includes the Aurora model
• Real-time retrieval operates through continuously updated snapshots rather than instant post-by-post indexing, meaning very recent events can take several minutes to surface accurately
• SuperGrok Heavy at $300/month is explicitly designed for developers, AI researchers, and power users building advanced workflows for most individual users, SuperGrok at $30/month is the more practical and cost-effective entry point
• Grok currently has no file upload, plugin ecosystem, or third-party API integrations, which limits its utility for structured document analysis compared to Claude or ChatGPT

Also Read Grok 5 Is Still Being Trained on Colossus 2, and the Wait May Reshape Frontier AI

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