xAI launches a dedicated website for its Grok chatbot

Elon Musk’s xAI has been making waves with its Grok chatbot, and now it’s even easier to take it for a spin. While a dedicated iOS app recently launched in the US, it seems xAI has quietly rolled out a web version of Grok as well. This means you no longer have to go to X.com or even have an X account to tap into Grok’s capabilities.

The standalone web app, currently in beta, appears to be very similar to its iOS counterpart. If you go to Grok.com, you are first asked to provide your birth year and then you can engage in real-time information gathering, get answers to your burning questions, and even delve into image generation. A menu beneath the input box lets you add attachments and toggle between Auto, Visualize, Search, and Model Only modes, giving you more control over Grok’s responses.

Grok on the web, no X account required

Similar to the iOS app, you can also sign into the Grok.com website without an X account. When you click the “Sign In” button, you get the option to connect your X account or sign in via Google or email. It does appear that by signing in without an X Premium account, there are similar limitations that you get with the free plan, which means you can generate 10 images every 2 hours, 3 image analysis credits per day, and 4 image generations per day.

If you do choose to sign in, there is a ghost icon in the top right corner that toggles on a “Temporary Mode.” After turning this one, a message below the input box says, “This chat is temporary and won’t appear in your history or be used to train models. We may securely retain it for up to 30 days for safety purposes.”

Next to the ghost icon in the top right, you also get a link to your chat history and a simple settings menu. At the bottom of the settings menu, you also get a toggle to set your appearance preference with Light, Dark, or System as your options.

Overall, this move to the web has some significant implications. First, it throws open the door to a much wider audience – not everyone is active on social media, and some folks simply prefer the focused experience of a dedicated website. But more importantly, this makes Grok accessible in places where social media might be restricted, such as corporate or educational networks.

While Grok initially debuted as just a perk for X Premium subscribers, it has been expanding ever since. The shift to a free model and now a dedicated website democratizes access to this powerful AI tool, allowing more users to experiment and explore the potential of this technology.