Grok Imagine: Grok’s image and video generator, explained
What Grok Imagine can make in 2026, who can use it on which plan, the rules after the deepfake scandal and how to get better results.
Grok Imagine makes images and short videos with sound from a text prompt or a photo, at up to 1080p for video. It is included from the $8 Plus plan, with higher limits from $30 Premium. Free access to image tools was cut back in early 2026.
What Grok Imagine does
Grok Imagine is the image and video generator inside Grok. You describe what you want, or start from a photo, and it makes a picture or a short video clip with sound. It launched on July 28, 2025, and Imagine 1.0 followed on February 1, 2026.
Video: what it can make now
The current video model for developers, released July 31, 2026, can make video from a text description, animate a still image, or follow reference images, at up to 1080p. In the apps, that shows up as short clips you can generate and remix from a prompt or a photo.
The AI “Odyssey” series (October 2026)
On October 23, 2026, the Grok Imagine account released Episode 1 of an Odyssey series made with Grok Imagine, Wonder Studios and director Dev Walker. It runs just over seven minutes and covers the Greeks arriving at Troy. It follows Musk’s July 22 promise of a full-length, historically accurate Odyssey film by the end of 2026. Reviews pointed to common AI video flaws, and no schedule for later episodes has been announced. Read our story.
Images
An August 28, 2026 update added an automatic quality setting, support for up to five reference images and new aspect ratios. One image model, grok-imagine-image-quality, is being retired on November 2, 2026 and replaced by grok-imagine-image-2.0, which matters if you use it through the API.
Who can use it
| Plan | Imagine access |
|---|---|
| Free | Very limited; image tools were restricted to paying users in early 2026 |
| Plus, $8 | Imagine included |
| Premium, $30 and up | More AI images and videos, higher limits |
Full plan details: Is Grok free?
The rules, and why they changed
After a sexual-deepfake scandal at the start of 2026, X limited Grok’s image replies to paying users (January 9), barred editing real people into revealing clothing (January 14), and by March 19 limited the standalone Imagine app to paid subscribers. Regulators in the UK, California, France and Ireland opened investigations. Do not use it to create images of real people without their consent; beyond the platform rules, that can be illegal where you live.
Tips for better results
- Describe the subject, the setting, the light and the camera: “a red fox in fresh snow at dawn, low angle, soft light”.
- For video, describe the motion: “slowly turns its head toward the camera”.
- Use reference images when you need a consistent character or product.
- Generate several versions and refine the best one instead of rewriting from scratch.
Questions people ask
Can Grok make videos?
Yes. Grok Imagine makes short video clips with sound from text, from a still image or from reference images.
Is Grok Imagine free?
Not really anymore. Image tools were restricted to paying users in early 2026; Imagine is included from the $8 Plus plan.
Can Grok Imagine edit photos of real people?
Grok is barred from editing real people into revealing clothing, and creating intimate images of someone without consent can be illegal.