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Beginner guide

How to Get Started with Grok, Step by Step

Facts last checked October 17, 2026 · About a 7-minute read

This guide takes you from "never used it" to asking your first question and choosing your privacy settings. Take it slow; there is no wrong way to start.

Before you begin: you must be at least 13 to use Grok, and teens aged 13 to 17 need a parent's or guardian's permission.[4] We're an unofficial fan site. We will never ask for your password, and you should never type it anywhere except the official Grok website or app.

Pick Where You Want to Use Grok

You have two main choices:[1]

  • Your computer: go to grok.com in your web browser. The official FAQ recommends grok.com in a standard Chrome or Chromium-based browser, and notes that some people using other addresses, like grok.x.ai, run into missing features.[3]
  • Your phone: get the Grok app for iPhone or Android.[1] We suggest downloading it from your phone's official app store (the App Store or Google Play) so you know you have the real app. Need help? See How to Download Grok (iPhone, Android and Computer).

You can use both. Once you sign in, your conversations, settings, and subscription stay in sync across the website and the apps.[2]

Sign In

The official Grok page says you can sign in with your X account or an email account.[1] The official FAQ also mentions Apple and Google logins.[3]

Tip: use the same sign-in method everywhere. Your subscription and history are tied to the account you used, so signing in a different way on another device can make it look like they're missing.[3] You can review and manage your sign-in methods at accounts.x.ai.[3]

Grok is free to start, so you don't need to pay anything to try it.[2]

Ask Your First Question

Type a question or request the way you'd say it to a friend, then send it. A few easy ideas to start (these are our suggestions, not official examples):

  • "Explain what a credit score is like I'm brand new to it."
  • "Help me write a friendly thank-you note to my neighbor for watering my plants."
  • "Give me a simple weeknight dinner idea using chicken, rice, and broccoli."

If the answer isn't quite right, just reply with a follow-up, like "make it shorter" or "explain that more simply." You can keep going in the same conversation.[1]

Try the Other Ways to Use It

The official Grok page says you can switch modes for search, reasoning, voice, or images.[1] Here is what each is good for:

  • Search: for questions about what's happening now. Grok searches the web and X live.[1]
  • Voice: talk to Grok hands-free instead of typing.[2]
  • Images: describe a picture and Grok Imagine will create it.[2]
  • Files: to have Grok read a document or photo, click or tap the + icon next to the message box and pick your file. On the web, you can also drag and drop.[3]

Choose Your Privacy Settings

Take two minutes to set these up the way you like:

  • Model training: the company may use your chats to train its AI. To choose, look in Settings for "Improve the model" (on the website, the consumer FAQ points to Settings → Data; in the app, Settings → Data Controls).[4]
  • Private Chat: tap the ghost-shaped icon near the top right to start a chat that won't be saved to your history. The company says these chats are deleted from its systems within 30 days and aren't used for training.[4]
  • Keep secrets out: the company asks you not to share personal or sensitive information in your questions.[4]

Heads-up: the consumer FAQ that describes these menus is dated May 2025, so the exact labels on your screen may differ slightly.[4]

Find, Share, or Delete Your Chats

  • History: your past conversations are saved when you're signed in, so you can come back to them later.[4]
  • Sharing: the Share button creates a public link to a conversation. Anyone with the link can see it, and links posted publicly may show up in search engines. You can remove share links at grok.com/share-links.[4]
  • Deleting: you can delete single conversations or all of them, and your whole account, from Grok's settings. The company says deleted data can take up to 30 days to be removed from its systems.[4]

If Something Isn't Working

The official FAQ says these steps fix most sign-in and app problems:[3]

  • Restart the app, or delete and reinstall it.
  • Log out, clear the cache, and log back in.
  • On the web, try Chrome or Edge in an incognito (private) window.

Still stuck? Use the "Report an issue" feature inside Grok, or contact the company's support at support@x.ai.[3][4] (We're a fan site and can't help with accounts or billing.)

Decide Later If You Want a Paid Plan

There's no rush. Paid plans raise your limits and unlock more features.[2] If you sign up for one, you can check how much of your weekly allowance you've used under Settings → Usage.[3]

Prices and plan names change, so check the official pricing page for current details. The company says subscriptions are only sold directly through its official website, not through resellers.[5] For a plain-English rundown, see our guide Grok Free vs. Paid: What Each Plan Includes.

What to Read Next

New to all this? Read What Is Grok? A Plain-English Explainer, and keep our Beginner Glossary handy for words like prompt, chatbot, and SI. Then try 10 Beginner Prompts to Try, and when you're curious about upgrading, read Grok Free vs. Paid: What Each Plan Includes.

Sources

Every fact above comes from these official pages, checked on October 17, 2026. Grok changes often, so if something looks different on your screen, the official page wins.

  1. Grok product page (SpaceXSI): https://x.ai/grok
  2. Welcome to Grok, official docs (last updated October 10, 2026): https://docs.x.ai/grok/overview
  3. FAQ: Grok Website / Apps, official docs: https://docs.x.ai/grok/faq
  4. SpaceXSI Consumer FAQs (page dated May 12, 2025): https://x.ai/legal/faq
  5. Official pricing page: https://x.ai/pricing