Grok Imagine is xAI's new image and video generation feature that launched to paying subscribers in late July 2025, powered by the company's proprietary Aurora-2 model. The feature uses a simple slash-command interface (typing /dream followed by a text prompt) to generate both still images and video clips. Early Sunday morning on July 26, Elon Musk posted a rapid-fire series of tweets showcasing the capability, signaling a major product push for the feature across xAI's ecosystem.

What Is Grok Imagine and How Does It Work?

Grok Imagine represents xAI's answer to competitors like OpenAI's DALL-E and Anthropic's image tools. The feature runs on Aurora-2, a multimodal model (meaning it handles multiple types of input and output, including text, images, and video) that xAI developed in-house. This is a significant advantage over earlier versions of Grok that relied on third-party image generators. By controlling the full technology stack, xAI can iterate faster and tune the model's behavior directly without waiting for external vendors to update their systems.

The user experience is deliberately simple. Instead of navigating menus or separate interfaces, you type /dream into Grok, describe what you want to generate, and the model creates it. The slash-command format mirrors how Discord bots and other chat-based tools work, making it familiar to anyone who has used those platforms. This design choice matters because it lowers the barrier to entry for casual users while keeping the feature accessible within the main Grok chat interface.

When Did Grok Imagine Launch and Who Can Access It?

Grok Imagine did not roll out to all users simultaneously. The feature initially launched to SuperGrok and Premium+ subscribers on iOS in late July 2025, with Android access following in August 2025. The Grok Imagine API, which allows developers to integrate the feature into their own applications, opened on January 28, 2026. If you are on a free Grok tier, generation capabilities are likely limited or gated behind a paywall. xAI has consistently used a tiered rollout strategy, giving paying subscribers early and fuller access before broadening availability over subsequent months.

The roadmap to Grok Imagine spanned nearly two years. xAI began with image understanding capabilities in October 2024, moved to the original Aurora text-to-image model in December 2024, and officially launched Grok Imagine 1.0 in February 2026 with Aurora-2 as its engine. This measured approach allowed the company to refine the technology before making it widely available.

How to Start Using Grok Imagine

• Check Your Subscription: Verify whether you are on a SuperGrok or Premium+ tier, as free users have limited or no access to image and video generation features.
• Open Grok: Launch the Grok application on your iOS or Android device (Android support became available in August 2025).
• Type Your Prompt: Begin a message with /dream followed by a detailed description of the image or video you want to generate, then submit.
• Review the Output: Grok will generate the media based on your text prompt, and you can refine or regenerate if needed.

Why Should Tesla Owners Care About This?

Grok is already integrated into Tesla vehicles as the in-car AI assistant. While in-car image generation is not yet confirmed for current vehicle implementations, the capability gap between what Grok can do on your phone and what it does inside your Tesla has been narrowing with each update. Musk's public showcase of Grok Imagine, posted at 3 a.m. UTC with multiple generated video clips, reads less like a casual demonstration and more like a strategic product push.

As xAI continues to fold Aurora-2's capabilities deeper into the Grok product, the version running in your vehicle's center console is the most likely downstream beneficiary. This could eventually allow Tesla owners to generate images or video content directly from their dashboard, though no official timeline has been announced. For now, the most actionable step is straightforward: if you are a SuperGrok or Premium+ subscriber, open Grok and try /dream with a prompt to see the feature in action. Whether xAI pushes a meaningful Grok Imagine update to Tesla's in-car interface, and on what timeline, is the question worth watching as the company continues to develop this capability.