Let it ask you first
For anything important, end with this line.
"Ask me 3 questions before you start."
Guide 5 · Grok
Grok, set up safely and used well
A one-page starter for first-time users of the Grok app and grok.com. Nine setup steps, a map of the screen on desktop and phone, a simple way to ask better questions, and what is different when you use Grok inside X.
Level EntryTime about 9 minWorks on Web · iPhone · Android · inside XLast checked 12 Oct 2026
Download the printable PDFThe screen, mapped
- 1.Sidebar. New chat and your history. On a phone, tap your profile picture at top left to see history.
- 2.Settings. The gear at the top right on grok.com. In the app, open your profile picture, then Settings.
- 3.Model picker. Inside the message box at the right, shown as Fast. Leave it on the default while you learn.
- 4.Private Chat. The ghost icon at the top right. Not shown in your history and deleted within 30 days.
- 5.Plus button. Add a photo or file.
- 6.Send. Type / in the box to see slash commands.
This sheet covers the Grok app and grok.com, which run under SpaceXSI's privacy policy. Grok inside the X app uses X's own settings and X's privacy policy; where they differ, both paths are given.
Nine steps before your first real question
0 of 9 done
- 01Install
- Desktop
- Go to grok.com.
- Phone
- App Store or Google Play. Check the developer is xAI (shown as X.AI or SpaceXAI on some stores).
Grok is also built into the X app, where it appears as a Grok button in the navigation bar. The standalone app and grok.com give you the full settings described below.
- 02Account
- Both
- Sign in with your X account, Google or Apple, or with an email address. You will be asked for your date of birth.
You must be 13 or older, and a parent must agree to the terms for anyone aged 13 to 17. Grok's output is not always suitable for all ages, so it is not a tool for younger children.
- 03Security
- X account
- x.com › Settings and privacy › Security and account access › Security › Two-factor authentication
- Google or Apple
- Turn on two-step verification on whichever account you used to sign in.
Grok has no separate password. Whoever controls the account you signed in with can get into Grok, so secure that account first.
- 04Privacy
- Grok app
- Settings › Data Controls › Improve the model, switch off
- grok.com
- Settings › Data › Improve the Model, switch off
- Inside X
- Settings › Privacy & Safety › Data sharing and personalization › Grok & Third-party Collaborators, untick the option beginning "Allow your public data as well as your interactions"
Once off, new conversations are not used for training. Feedback you send with the thumbs buttons may still be used. Inside X, protecting your posts (Audience and tagging › Protect your posts) also keeps them out of Grok training.
- 05Personalise
- Both
- There is no instructions box documented by SpaceXSI, so put your context in the first line of a chat. Example: "I run a small landscaping business in Adelaide. Use Australian English and keep answers short."
Grok on X can personalise answers from your X activity. To stop that, untick Allow X to personalize your experience with Grok under the same Grok & Third-party Collaborators screen.
- 06Memory
- Grok app
- Press and hold a conversation name under your profile picture, then Delete Conversation. For everything: Settings › Data Controls › Delete All Conversations.
- grok.com
- Use the bin icon on the history page for one chat, or Settings to delete all chats or your account.
- Inside X
- Settings › Privacy & Safety › Data sharing and personalization › Grok › Delete Conversation History
Deleted conversations are removed from SpaceXSI or X systems within 30 days, unless they must be kept for security or legal reasons.
- 07Privacy
- Both
- Click the ghost icon at the top right before you type.
Private Chat conversations do not appear in your history, are not used for model training where that is available, and are deleted from SpaceXSI systems within 30 days.
- 08Habit
- Both
- See the list at the end of this sheet. Remove names and numbers before you paste, or describe the situation instead.
Treat anything you type as something that could be stored. Privacy settings reduce risk; they do not remove it.
- 09Plans
- Both
- SpaceXSI says limited free access and paid plans are available depending on your location. Compare current plans and prices at grok.com or in the app. Inside X, Grok access follows your X subscription.
Free access is enough to learn on. Upgrade when you often hit the limits, not before, and check the price shown for Australia before you pay.
The three-part question
Who it's for
Your role, the reader, the situation.
What you need
The task, plus the facts it needs to do it well.
How you want it
Length, format, tone, Australian English.
Weak prompt
write a post about my cafe
Strong prompt
I run a small café in Fremantle and post on X twice a week. Write three short posts announcing our new winter menu launching Monday, each with a different angle: the new soup, the weekend breakfast, and the loyalty card. Under 200 characters each, friendly, Australian English, no hashtags.
Nine habits that make it far more useful
Reply, don't restart
Keep shaping the same answer in the same chat.
"Shorter." "Plainer." "Make it a table."
Ask for options
Choosing between drafts is faster than fixing one.
"Give me 3 versions: formal, warm, brief."
Ask what is happening now
Grok draws on live X posts, so it is useful for what people are saying today. Treat posts as opinion, not fact.
"What are people on X saying about the WA rail strike today?"
Show it, don't describe it
Use the plus button to add a photo or screenshot and ask about it.
"What does this letter want me to do?"
Check the facts
It can sound sure and still be wrong. Verify names, numbers, laws and dates.
"Which parts of this should I double-check?"
One topic per chat
Long mixed chats get muddled. Start fresh for a new job.
New chat
Try a slash command
Type / in the message box to see shortcuts for common jobs.
Type / and pick from the list
Make it teach you
Use it to learn, not only to produce.
"Explain it simply, then quiz me."
Shortcuts and safety
These common keys work in the Grok web app. SpaceXSI does not publish a separate shortcut list; typing / in the message box shows the slash commands.
| Do this | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Send your message | Enter | Return |
| New line without sending | Shift Enter | Shift Return |
| Show slash commands | / | / |
| Paste a screenshot into the chat | Ctrl V | Cmd V |
Never paste
- Passwords, PINs or sign-in codes
- Tax file number, Medicare, licence or passport numbers
- Bank or card details
- Other people's health, legal or personal records
- Confidential work material your employer has not cleared
Good first uses
- Sum up what people on X are saying about a topic today
- Draft short social posts in your own tone
- Explain a bill, policy or form in plain English
- Turn a photo of notes into text
- Practise for a job interview
Next Move
Your next step
Related on ApplyAI
Common questions
In the Grok app go to Settings, Data Controls, and switch off Improve the model. On grok.com it is Settings, Data, Improve the Model. Inside X, go to Settings, Privacy and Safety, Data sharing and personalization, Grok and Third-party Collaborators, and untick the data sharing option. New conversations are then not used for training; thumbs feedback may still be.
Private Chat is started with the ghost icon at the top right. The conversation does not appear in your history, is not used for model training where available, and is deleted from SpaceXSI systems within 30 days.
In the app, press and hold a conversation under your profile picture and choose Delete Conversation, or go to Settings, Data Controls, Delete All Conversations. On grok.com use the bin icon on the history page or Settings. Inside X, use Settings, Privacy and Safety, Data sharing and personalization, Grok, Delete Conversation History. Deletion completes within 30 days.
SpaceXSI says limited free access and paid plans are available depending on your location, and inside X your Grok access follows your X subscription. Compare current plans at grok.com or in the app, and check the Australian price before you pay.
You must be 13 or older, and a parent must agree to the terms for users aged 13 to 17. SpaceXSI says Grok's output is not always suitable for all ages.
Grok on X can learn from your public posts and interactions unless you untick the data sharing option under Grok and Third-party Collaborators, and it can personalise answers from your X activity unless you untick Allow X to personalize your experience with Grok. Protecting your posts also keeps them out of Grok training.
Sources
General information only, checked on the date shown and provided free of charge. These apps change their settings and menus often, so confirm every step against the app in front of you. Nothing here is legal, financial, security or privacy advice, and you use it at your own risk. To the extent permitted by law, AJILITY PTY LTD (trading as Apply AI Co and Adopt AI Co) excludes all liability for any loss arising from reliance on this guide. Our Terms apply.
ApplyAI is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by SpaceXAI LLC (SpaceXSI) or X Corp. Grok and X are trademarks of their owners. Screen drawings are our own simplified illustrations, not screenshots.