Grok companions: the Ani era, explained
For a year, Grok's companion mode was the biggest thing in AI companionship — Ani put an anime girlfriend inside the world's most-watched chatbot. As of mid-2026, xAI has said it's winding the experiment down. Here's the whole arc: what the companions were, what they cost, why they were controversial, and where their users are going.
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Who the companions were
Companion mode launched in the Grok iOS app on July 14, 2025 with two characters: Ani, a flirty goth anime girl with an affection-level system, and Rudi, a red panda with a vulgar “Bad Rudi” alternate mode. Valentine, a male companion, followed within weeks, and Mika — a more platonic character — arrived that October. Ani was the phenomenon: leveling up your relationship unlocked progressively spicier conversation and outfits, which put an effectively adult experience inside an app rated 12+ on the App Store and made headlines for exactly that reason.
Access mostly required xAI's paid tiers (SuperGrok at $30/mo, or X Premium+ bundles), with free windows at launch. Android users waited far longer than iOS for the full experience — a sore point in the community the entire time.
The retirement, and what it teaches
On July 24, 2026, xAI said it would retire the dedicated 3D companion mode “soon” to refocus on the core Grok assistant — personas would live on as ordinary text chats, avatars and the companion interface would not. (Coverage has been thin and the rollout uneven, so check the app for the current state.) Whatever the final timeline, the lesson for companion users is structural: a companion that exists as a feature inside someone else's product can be deprioritized or deleted the moment strategy changes. Dedicated companion apps have their own problems — we document them honestly in every review — but being a side project is not one of them.
Where Ani users are going
Matched to what people actually liked about Ani. Our full Grok Ani alternatives ranking goes deeper.
The closest thing to Ani as a full product — flirty, visual, customizable, with the images and memory Grok never gave her.
Read the full Candy AI review →If voice was the appeal: unfiltered chat with voice, images, and video, without per-minute caps or a $30/mo assistant subscription.
Read the full Soulkyn review →The realism pick — lifelike images and video presence, a step beyond a stylized 3D avatar.
Read the full Secrets AI review →FAQ
What are Grok companions?
Animated 3D characters inside xAI's Grok app that you talk to by voice — launched in July 2025 with Ani (a flirty goth anime girl) and Rudi the red panda, later joined by Valentine (a male companion) and Mika. Ani became the famous one: an affection system that unlocks progressively spicier interaction made her the most mainstream 'AI girlfriend' product ever shipped.
Is Grok's companion mode being shut down?
xAI said in late July 2026 that it's retiring the dedicated 3D companion mode to refocus on the core assistant — with chat histories preserved and the personas still available as regular text chats, but the avatars and companion interface going away. Coverage has been patchy and rollout uneven, so check the app for current state. Either way, the episode is the argument for a dedicated companion app: a companion that's a side feature of someone else's product can be discontinued under you.
Do you need to pay for Grok's Ani?
Full companion access has generally sat behind xAI's paid tiers (SuperGrok, and X Premium+ bundles), with free access appearing only in limited launch windows. Pricing and packaging have shifted repeatedly — which is itself worth knowing: the dedicated companion apps below cost less than SuperGrok and exist solely to be companions.
Is there a Grok companion on Android?
Android support lagged iOS badly throughout — text-based companions arrived first, with the full 3D experience rolling out much later and unevenly, and the reported 2026 retirement may moot it entirely. If you're on Android and want an Ani-style companion now, the dedicated apps below all run on any phone via the browser.
What's the best Ani alternative?
Candy AI for the closest overall product (a customizable, flirty companion with images and memory Ani never had), Soulkyn for uncapped voice, and Secrets AI for realism and video. Our full Grok Ani alternatives page ranks the options by what you liked about Ani.