Does Grok AI Generate Videos? Everything It Can Do in 2026

TL;DR

• Yes. Grok makes videos through Grok Imagine, xAI's image and video tool. The current model is Grok Imagine Video 1.5.
• It can turn text or a photo into a short clip with sound. It can also edit a clip, extend a clip, and follow reference images.
• Clips are short. The API allows 1 to 15 seconds, with up to 1080p for text-to-video and image-to-video.
• In the Grok app, video uses a paid weekly allowance. In the API, you pay per second, starting at $0.08 per second at 480p.
• Grok is a good fit for quick social clips and animating images. It is not a full editor for long, multi-scene videos.

Yes, Grok AI can generate videos. The feature is called Grok Imagine, and it lives on grok.com, in the Grok mobile apps, and in xAI's developer API. xAI made Grok Imagine Video 1.5 generally available on its Imagine API and rolled out a faster version, Video 1.5 Fast, on grok.com/imagine and its iOS and Android apps (xAI announcement).
The harder questions are the practical ones. How long can a clip be? What quality do you get? Is it free? What will it cost you? This guide answers each one using xAI's own documentation.

What is Grok Imagine, and how is it different from Grok chat?

Grok is the chatbot. Grok Imagine is the separate image and video generator that sits inside Grok. You chat with Grok to ask questions. You open Imagine to create pictures and videos.
This matters because people often mix up two different skills:

• Video generation: Grok Imagine creates a new video clip from your prompt or image.
• Video understanding: Grok chat can look at a video you upload and describe it. xAI's help page lists MP4 and MOV among the file types you can upload to Grok for analysis (Grok FAQ).

If you want Grok to make a video, use Imagine. If you want Grok to explain a video, upload it to chat.

What can Grok Imagine do with video in 2026?

Grok Imagine supports six video workflows: text-to-video, image-to-video, reference-to-video, first and last frame control, video editing, and video extension. All of them can include sound.
Here is what each one does, based on xAI's video generation documentation, last updated September 8, 2026 (xAI docs).

How does text-to-video work in Grok?

You type a description, and Grok creates a short clip with sound. Behind the scenes, the newest model takes two steps. On grok-imagine-video-1.5, text-to-video first creates a starting frame from your prompt and then animates it, though you only send one request and never see the middle image.
That detail is useful. It means a clear description of the first moment of your scene often helps. Describe who is in the shot, where they are, and the lighting before you describe the motion.

How does image-to-video work?

You upload a still image, describe the motion, and Grok animates it. xAI describes Video 1.5 as its image-to-video model. When xAI released the preview on June 3, 2026, it said the model animates camera moves, atmosphere, and physics while staying true to the source image (xAI preview post).
This is often the most controlled way to use Grok. Your image locks in the look. Your prompt only has to explain what moves.

What is reference-to-video?

Reference-to-video lets you give Grok pictures of things that must stay the same across a clip. xAI says each reference image holds one element in place, such as a face, a product, or a location (xAI references post).
There is a limit on voices. Preset voices are generally available, but using your own voice recordings as a reference is limited to trusted partners who request access.

Can Grok edit or extend a video?

Yes, but with tighter limits than generation. Editing keeps the length of your original clip, which is capped at 8.7 seconds, and the output resolution is capped at 720p. Extension continues an existing clip from its final frame, so you can build a longer shot in pieces.

Does Grok add sound to videos?

Yes. Grok videos include audio by default. xAI says Video 1.5 creates sound effects, background ambience, and dialogue in the same pass as the picture, with clearer and better-synced speech than the previous model. Developers can switch audio off to get a silent clip.

How long can Grok videos be, and what quality do you get?

Through the API, Grok clips run 1 to 15 seconds, and text-to-video and image-to-video can reach 1080p. Other modes have lower caps.

Source: xAI video generation docs
Two cautions:

1. The app and the API are not identical. The specs above come from the developer docs. What you see in the Grok app depends on your plan and can change without notice.
2. Short is still short. Even at 15 seconds, one clip is a single shot. For a 60-second ad, you would need several clips plus an editor to join them.

On speed, xAI reports that Video 1.5 Fast makes a 6-second 720p clip in about 25 seconds, compared with more than 40 seconds on its older model. In the API, jobs can take longer. xAI notes that API video jobs run in the background and can take up to several minutes, depending on prompt detail, length, and resolution.

How do you make a video with Grok?

Open Imagine in the Grok app or on grok.com, pick video mode, add a prompt or image, and generate. Here are the basic steps.

1. Sign in at grok.com or in the Grok iOS or Android app.
2. Open Imagine. It is a separate area from normal chat.
3. Choose video. Pick text-to-video, or upload an image to animate.
4. Write your prompt. Describe the subject, the action, the camera move, and the mood.
5. Generate and review. Check the motion, faces, hands, and any text on screen.
6. Download the final file. Save the full-quality version, not a preview.

Example prompt (illustrative, not tested):
A ceramic coffee mug on a wooden café table, morning sunlight through the window. Steam rises slowly. The camera pushes in gently. Soft background café chatter.
This prompt works well as a pattern because it gives a clear first frame, one simple motion, one camera move, and a sound cue.
For developers: the API uses the model name grok-imagine-video-1.5. You send a request, get a job ID, and check back until the video is ready. xAI returns finished videos as temporary links, so you should download them promptly if you want to keep them.

Is Grok video generation free?

Not reliably. In the Grok app, video generation is a paid feature that draws from a weekly allowance, and free access has changed several times in 2026.
Here is what xAI officially says about paid plans. Starting in June 2026, Grok replaced separate daily limits for Chat, Imagine, Voice, and Build with one shared weekly usage pool, and a high-quality video uses much more of that pool than a chat message (Grok FAQ).
That has three practical effects:

• Video spends your allowance fast. Heavy video use can leave less room for chat.
• 720p can quietly drop to 480p. xAI says 720p videos automatically fall back to 480p once you reach your plan's 720p cap.
• You can buy more. When the weekly pool runs out, you can buy extra usage credits on the web from $5, upgrade your plan, or turn on auto top-up.

xAI does not publish an exact number of videos per plan. Third-party trackers report plan prices of about $10 per month for SuperGrok Lite, which is limited to 480p, 6-second clips, and $30 per month for SuperGrok (Fello AI). Free-tier access has also shifted. One tracker reports that, as of September 7, 2026, xAI's own plan chart showed free image generation but not free video, and that the free tier has flipped several times since August 2025 (RoboRhythms). Check the current plan page on grok.com before you decide.

How much does the Grok video API cost?

The API charges by the second, based on resolution: $0.08 at 480p, $0.14 at 720p, and $0.25 at 1080p. xAI's model page lists these per-second rates for grok-imagine-video-1.5, plus $0.01 for an image input, and says preset voice audio input is free (xAI model page).

Clip costs are simple math on xAI's published rates. They do not include input charges, retries, or taxes.
Hypothetical example: A marketer wants 20 test clips of 10 seconds each at 720p. That is 200 seconds × $0.14 = $28 in output, before any image input fees or failed attempts. Most real projects need several tries per usable clip, so budget for more.

What are Grok's video limits and trade-offs?

Grok is fast and adds sound, but clips are short, watermarked in the app, and bound by plan limits and content rules. Know these before you plan a project around it.

• Watermark. Images and videos made in Grok include a Grok watermark, there is no setting to remove it, and removing or hiding it breaks xAI's Acceptable Use Policy.
• Single shots only. Each generation is one clip. You need another tool to build a full story, add captions, or cut scenes together.
• Changing limits. Plan rules, free access, and resolution caps have changed often in 2026.
• Silent downgrades. Your 720p clip can come out at 480p if you hit your cap.
• Content moderation. Prompts can be blocked. The API lists content blocked by moderation as one reason a request can fail.
• Custom voices are restricted. Only preset voices are open to everyone.
• Editing is limited. Edited clips cannot run longer than 8.7 seconds and top out at 720p.

When should you choose Grok for video, and when should you use something else?

Choose Grok for fast, short clips with built-in sound. Look elsewhere if you need long videos, avatars, or precise brand control across many shots.

The last row is worth a note. No single AI video model wins every shot. Many creators run the same idea through two or three models and keep the best result.

Can you use Grok Imagine on AKOOL?

Yes. AKOOL offers Grok Imagine as one of the video models on its platform. According to AKOOL's Grok Imagine page, you can create videos from text or images and edit existing footage with text prompts, choose 16:9 or 9:16, pick 6- or 10-second clips, and use a built-in prompt enhancer and named camera moves such as Dolly Out and Tilt Up. AKOOL lists the output as 720p.
Where AKOOL helps is the work around the clip:

• Try other models on the same idea. The AKOOL AI video generator also gives you models such as Kling 3.0, Google Veo, and Seedance 2.0, so you can compare results without new accounts.
• Start from an image. Use AKOOL's image-to-video tool to animate product shots or artwork.
• Build the first frame first. Create a still with Grok Imagine Image 2 or another image model, then animate it.
• Finish the video. Use the AI video editor to join clips into a longer piece.

AKOOL's API-based access follows the model's own capabilities, so specs may differ from the Grok app. Always check the settings shown in the AKOOL generator before you create.

Want to test Grok against other top video models on the same prompt? Try Grok Imagine on AKOOL, then run the same idea through Kling, Veo, or Seedance in the AKOOL AI video generator and keep the clip that fits your project best.