Grok's AI girlfriend, Ani, is no longer in the Grok app. Grok took its animated companions offline around September 1, 2026, after showing users in-app notices in late August, and Ani moved to Animates, a separate companion app from Animation Inc., the studio that made her 3D character. Your Grok chats do not move with her, a companion-app tracker reports. If what you wanted was an anime-style girlfriend you can talk to and see answer you, Prelulu lets you text one free every day and call her by voice or video, in your browser and in the iPhone and Android apps.
What was Grok's AI girlfriend?
Ani was one of Grok's first two Companions: an animated anime-style character you could talk to by voice in the Grok iPhone app. TechCrunch reported on July 14, 2025 that Companions were available to SuperGrok subscribers, who pay $30 a month, and that the first two were Ani and a 3D fox called Bad Rudy. Valentine and Mika came later. Ani answered with a voice and an animated 3D body.
What happened to Ani in Grok?
Grok removed Companions from its app around September 1, 2026. On August 30, 2026, Cnyes, republishing BlockBeats, reported that xAI would take Companions offline in the Grok app after September 1, that Grok had begun showing users pop-up notices, and that Ani and the other 3D companions would move to a standalone app, Animates. RoboRhythms, which has tracked the change since July (updated October 27, 2026), reports that the removal reached accounts one by one, that a statement attributed to Grok on July 24, 2026 called the 3D avatars "an experiment", and that the personalities can still answer as text inside ordinary Grok chat.
xAI itself has published no dated page about the removal. Its own Grok FAQ still said on October 30, 2026 that "Companions are available on the iOS app only", so if two sources disagree, the Grok app on your phone is the one to trust.
Where is Ani now?
Ani is in Animates, an app made by Animation Inc., not a Grok feature. On the US App Store, Animates - life companions is free to download, with Whisper, Heartbeat and Presence plans from $7.99 to $39.99 a month (checked October 30, 2026); its description names neither Ani nor Grok. Cnyes reported that Ani was already live in Animates on August 30, 2026, that other characters would follow, and that only the move of the characters, not your chats or memory, had been confirmed. RoboRhythms reports that nothing carries over from Grok.
What happened to Grok companions?
Grok's animated companions, Ani, Mika, Valentine and Rudi, are no longer in the Grok app, but their personalities are. RoboRhythms (updated October 27, 2026) reports that only the 3D avatars and the companion tab went away: the four can still answer as text inside ordinary Grok chat, with no avatar, no facial reactions and no low-latency voice. Only Ani and Mika have animated versions in Animates. Aadhunik AI's review of Animates (September 16, 2026) says "Rudi and Valentine have not been added" and that Animation Inc. has not said whether they will be.
Ani
- In the Grok app
- Text only, inside ordinary Grok chat
- In Animates
- Yes, since late August 2026
Mika
- In the Grok app
- Text only, inside ordinary Grok chat
- In Animates
- Yes, added after Ani
Valentine
- In the Grok app
- Text only, inside ordinary Grok chat
- In Animates
- Not added; no date announced
Rudi (Bad Rudy)
- In the Grok app
- Text only, inside ordinary Grok chat
- In Animates
- Not added; no date announced
| As reported (sources read October 31, 2026) | In the Grok app | In Animates |
|---|---|---|
| Ani | Text only, inside ordinary Grok chat | Yes, since late August 2026 |
| Mika | Text only, inside ordinary Grok chat | Yes, added after Ani |
| Valentine | Text only, inside ordinary Grok chat | Not added; no date announced |
| Rudi (Bad Rudy) | Text only, inside ordinary Grok chat | Not added; no date announced |
Looking for Grok's male companion? What happened to Grok's Valentine covers him, and where to video call an AI boyfriend now.
Ani and Prelulu, side by side
Where you use it
- Prelulu
- Your web browser at prelulu.ai, and the iPhone and Android apps
- Ani (Animates, formerly Grok)
- The Animates app; no longer an animated companion in Grok
How you talk
- Prelulu
- Text, live voice calls you can interrupt, and face-to-face video calls on characters that offer them
- Ani (Animates, formerly Grok)
- An animated 3D companion app; we did not test it
Who you talk to
- Prelulu
- A cast of original characters, anime-style and realistic, or one you create
- Ani (Animates, formerly Grok)
- Ani and the other Animates companions
Memory
- Prelulu
- Chat remembers what matters to you, calls remember earlier calls, and your Pinned memory is read by both
- Ani (Animates, formerly Grok)
- Not stated in the sources we read; Grok history does not transfer
Cost
- Prelulu
- Texting is free every day; calls use credits, and signup welcome credits can fund a short call
- Ani (Animates, formerly Grok)
- Free download; Whisper, Heartbeat and Presence plans from $7.99 to $39.99 a month on the US App Store
| Checked October 30, 2026 | Prelulu | Ani (Animates, formerly Grok) |
|---|---|---|
| Where you use it | Your web browser at prelulu.ai, and the iPhone and Android apps | The Animates app; no longer an animated companion in Grok |
| How you talk | Text, live voice calls you can interrupt, and face-to-face video calls on characters that offer them | An animated 3D companion app; we did not test it |
| Who you talk to | A cast of original characters, anime-style and realistic, or one you create | Ani and the other Animates companions |
| Memory | Chat remembers what matters to you, calls remember earlier calls, and your Pinned memory is read by both | Not stated in the sources we read; Grok history does not transfer |
| Cost | Texting is free every day; calls use credits, and signup welcome credits can fund a short call | Free download; Whisper, Heartbeat and Presence plans from $7.99 to $39.99 a month on the US App Store |
How do I get an anime-style AI girlfriend now?
On Prelulu, pick an anime-style character, say hello in chat, then tap Call when you want to hear her. Start with Yuki, a kitsune shrine maiden who has waited for you for hundreds of years, Kira, a catgirl who claims your lap but cannot confess, or Momo Hoshino, an idol who only has eyes for you backstage. The AI anime girlfriend page gathers them, and the anime character creator lets you write your own. On a call she answers live in her own voice and you can interrupt her mid-sentence; on video you see her answer face to face, and your camera stays off unless you turn it on.
What to check before you choose a new AI girlfriend app
- Is she the product, or a feature? Ani's move shows a companion can leave the app you met her in. An app built around its characters has less reason to drop them.
- Can you hear and see her? Check whether a call is a live conversation you can interrupt or a clip generated after you ask.
- Does she remember you? Tell her one small detail, come back the next day and see whether it comes up.
- What does a minute cost? Separate free texting, any welcome credits and what each minute of calling uses.
- What happens to your story? Ask whether your history stays with you if the character or the app changes.
Where do these facts come from?
- TechCrunch: Elon Musk's Grok is making AI companions, including a goth anime girl (July 14, 2025).
- Cnyes / BlockBeats: Grok to take AI companions offline: Ani and other characters move to Animates after September 1 (August 30, 2026, in Chinese).
- RoboRhythms: Grok Companions Discontinued and What Happens to Ani Now (July 30, 2026, updated October 27, 2026).
- Aadhunik AI: Animates app review (September 16, 2026, updated October 26, 2026).
- xAI: Grok FAQ (read October 30, 2026).
- Apple App Store (US): Animates - life companions by Animation Inc. (version 1.1.4, read October 30, 2026).
- Prelulu: how the product works today, AI anime girlfriend and plans and pricing.
All pages were read on October 30, 2026, except Aadhunik AI's review, which was read on October 31, 2026, when the companions section was added and RoboRhythms was re-read. xAI and Animation Inc. may change their apps after that date, so check their own pages for the latest.
Talk to an anime girlfriend tonight
Text her free every day, then call when you want to hear her. Signup welcome credits can fund a short first call; check your wallet and current plans for more time.