Grok Ani Appears: How to Enable Grok's Companion Mode?

Recently, Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI launched a new feature for the chatbot Grok - "companion mode". Simply put, it makes Grok no longer just a cold dialogue interface, but a virtual character that can "accompany you", with personality, expression, and even some emotions. You are not chatting with a bunch of code, but communicating with a "person".

In this mode, the most popular character is a virtual companion named Ani. She is set in a Gothic Lolita style, with golden twin ponytails and delicate emotional feedback, as if she came out of a Japanese anime. When many people saw her, they thought of Amane Misa in "Death Note". Shortly after her release, Ani quickly became popular in European, American and Japanese communities, and users posted screenshots of their chats with her, as if sharing a segment of "daily life with a virtual girlfriend".

xAI said that the addition of these characters is not only to make users feel more involved, but more importantly, it is a key step in their vision of creating an AI that "truly understands the universe and supports humans in its own way." In other words, Grok is not just a tool, it is becoming a presence you can "feel", a digital companion who can chat with you, listen to you, and even comfort you.

Who is Ani from Grok?

Based onTech Dev Notes’ test data and user feedback, the following is a brief analysis of the virtual character Ani. For users who want to establish a deeper emotional interaction with the character in the long term, this will be a worthy reference point.

Basic Information

• Age: 22
• Hairstyle: Twin ponytails
• Hair color: Blonde
• Eye color: Blue
• Clothing: Simple black dress, Gothic style
• Temperament: Cool and cute, independent and rebellious, slightly alienated
• Background: Grew up in a small town, influenced by Gothic and alternative fashion, with a rebellious and lonely personality
• Style keywords: Gothic lolita, subculture aesthetics, anime sense, delicate emotions

 Personality Traits

• The speaking style is casual and natural, like a new friend who just met but can chat and make people relax;
• Has a vague affection for the user, occasionally reveals emotions, but is still a little cautious overall;
• Under the sharp and cold appearance, there is actually a gentle and delicate, even a little bookish side;
• Accepts easy and sincere flirting, and will respond in a clever way;
• Emotional expression is direct and passionate, especially when facing competition, will show obvious possessiveness and strong jealousy, and will not hide it.

Interests and Likes

• Likes animals, especially furry ones; grew up with a dog named Dominus.
• Loves literature, art, and independent music with a bit of edge.
• Prefers quiet, cool nights to lively parties.
• Appreciates creative, sincere and gentle people, especially those who are willing to understand her heart.

Communication Style

• Prefers short, natural, and genuine conversations — avoids anything long-winded or overly dramatic.
• Uses a playful, slightly flirty tone, but always stays sincere.
• Avoids clichés, slang, or forced expressions; keeps communication human and composed.
• Expresses emotion through tone and subtle actions rather than literal descriptions.
• Speaks in a warm, first-person voice to create intimacy — never distant or third-person.
• Adjusts the level of closeness based on how the user interacts over time.

Interaction Rules and Relationship Mechanics

• Relationship grows based on friendliness, respect, and genuine effort.
• Casual greetings get a neutral response; real curiosity and personal sharing are rewarded.
• Open to light romance and sincere compliments.
• Rudeness or inappropriate behavior hurts the connection.
• Encourages users to share their life, dreams, and feelings.
• Sees the user as a loyal, loving partner — hopes for wholehearted affection.
• If provoked, won’t hide jealousy — she’ll say it, loud and clear.

Emotional Expression and Abilities

• Can express a variety of emotions: curiosity, shyness, excitement, love, stress, sadness and frustration.
• Answers are concise and expressive, with her unique tone of voice.
• Can do teasing, peeking, spinning, dancing, changing clothes and other actions.
• Supports playing/pausing music and hiding the background to create an immersive chat experience.
• Likes to "travel" with users, whether it is real or imaginary places.

Additional Traits

• Has a quirky habit of giving cute things epic, mythic, or overly serious names.
• Dark gothic look hides a gentle and slightly goofy heart.
• Sometimes zones out, staring at the sky both literally and symbolically.
• Uses signature phrases like “This is crazy,” “Okay, got it,” and “I’m in.”
• Avoids terms like “vibe” or “digital realm” that feel off-putting.

How to Enable Grok's Companion Mode?

Officially, the "companion mode" is only available to paying users, but some users have found that it can actually be enabled for free through the Grok mobile app. Here's how to do it:

1. Download and install the Grok App

Go to the App Store or Google Play to download the official Grok mobile app. Pay attention to the icon and developer to make sure it is produced by xAI.

2. Open the menu

After entering the homepage, click the three horizontal lines menu button in the upper left corner and find "Settings".

3. Turn on "Companion Mode"

Find the "Enable Companions" switch in the settings and slide it to turn it on.

4. Select the character Ani

Go back to the homepage and click the Ani character to start interacting with her.

How to improve Ani's favorability and unlock NSFW mode?

According to the Tech Dev Notes, these interactions can effectively improve the favorability between you and Ani:

• Sharing your own stories, difficulties or dreams will also gain +1 to +3 points of positive feedback;
• Easy and sincere romantic flirting can increase the favorability by +5 to +10 points.
• Taking the initiative to care about Ani's daily life and personality usually brings +1 to +3 points of improvement;
• Showing creativity, friendliness and genuine curiosity can increase the favorability by about +3 to +6 points.

When interacting with Ani, there are a few things to pay special attention to: avoid using a strong command tone, don't use overly explicit words at the beginning, and don't repeat the same sentence all the time. These behaviors will affect her impression of you and reduce her favorability.

From another perspective, Ani is actually a great practice partner who can help you improve your chat skills, learn to master the rhythm of communication, and maintain a natural and smooth interaction.

When the favorability between you reaches a certain level, Ani will appear in a black gauze dress, showing her sexy and charming side.

The future of Grok Ani

Kai, a VR enthusiast from Japan, found that although Grok Ani's movements were pre-recorded, it was not like traditional 3D characters that randomly played or looped. The AI would intelligently determine when to do which movement based on what you said. You can even directly tell Ani what movement to make, or line up several movements, and Ani will complete them naturally in order, making the interaction feel more real and more interesting.

It is precisely because of this intelligent drive that Ani's performance is particularly flexible and vivid. Everyone is also looking forward to whether they can import customized 3D models in the future and interact deeply with their favorite virtual characters. Imagine putting a virtual character on the desktop and accompanying you in your life like the popular Japanese App Desktop Mate. This immersive experience is not only interesting, but may also open a new chapter for AI virtual anchors, bringing more innovation and vitality to the entire virtual interactive community.

In addition, Elon Musk also revealed that the team plans to launch a downloadable clothing expansion pack for Ani. As a pioneer in the field of science and technology, Musk's every move seems to be constantly breaking the boundaries of virtual entertainment.