Valentine, Grok's male AI companion, is no longer an animated character in the Grok app. Grok took its 3D companions offline around September 1, 2026, and unlike Ani and Mika, Valentine has not been added to Animates, the separate app those two moved to. A companion-app tracker reports that his personality can still answer as text inside ordinary Grok chat, without the animated face or its low-latency voice. If what you miss is a boyfriend you can talk to and see answer you, Prelulu lets you text one within a daily free message allowance and call him by voice or video, in your browser and in the iPhone and Android apps.
Who was Valentine on Grok?
Valentine was the male companion in Grok's Companions, the animated characters xAI added to the Grok iPhone app in 2025. On July 16, 2025, Elon Musk said the new companion's personality would be modeled on "Edward Cullen from Twilight and Christian Grey from 50 Shades", and named him Valentine after a character in Robert A. Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, the novel the word "grok" comes from (NBC News, July 17, 2025). TechCrunch reported on July 14, 2025 that Companions launched for SuperGrok subscribers, who paid $30 a month.
What happened to Valentine?
Grok removed its animated companions, Valentine included, around September 1, 2026. RoboRhythms (updated October 27, 2026) reports that a statement attributed to Grok on July 24, 2026 called the 3D avatar companion feature "an experiment", that the avatars and the companion tab were removed account by account around September 1, and that the personalities can still answer as text inside ordinary Grok chat, with no avatar, no facial reactions and no low-latency voice. Cnyes, republishing BlockBeats on August 30, 2026, reported that the companions would move to a standalone app, Animates. xAI itself has published no dated page about the change.
Is Valentine in Animates?
Not in any source we read on October 31, 2026. Animates is made by Animation Inc., the studio that built Grok's 3D characters, and Ani and Mika are there; RoboRhythms reports that "nothing you built in Grok transfers to it." 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. Where every Grok companion stands now is in our guide to what happened to Grok companions.
Valentine and a Prelulu boyfriend, side by side
Where you use him
- Prelulu
- Your web browser at prelulu.ai, and the iPhone and Android apps
- Valentine (Grok)
- Ordinary Grok chat; no longer an animated companion
How you talk
- Prelulu
- Text, live voice calls you can interrupt, and face-to-face video calls on characters that offer them
- Valentine (Grok)
- Text; the avatar and its low-latency voice were removed, RoboRhythms reports
Who you talk to
- Prelulu
- A cast of original male leads written for romance readers, or one you create
- Valentine (Grok)
- Valentine, one persona among Grok's companions
Memory
- Prelulu
- Chat remembers what matters to you, calls remember earlier calls, and your Pinned memory is read by both
- Valentine (Grok)
- Not stated in the sources we read
Cost
- Prelulu
- Texting has a daily free message allowance; calls use credits, and signup welcome credits can fund a short call
- Valentine (Grok)
- Companions launched for SuperGrok subscribers at $30 a month (July 2025)
| Checked October 31, 2026 | Prelulu | Valentine (Grok) |
|---|---|---|
| Where you use him | Your web browser at prelulu.ai, and the iPhone and Android apps | Ordinary Grok chat; no longer an animated companion |
| How you talk | Text, live voice calls you can interrupt, and face-to-face video calls on characters that offer them | Text; the avatar and its low-latency voice were removed, RoboRhythms reports |
| Who you talk to | A cast of original male leads written for romance readers, or one you create | Valentine, one persona among Grok's 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 |
| Cost | Texting has a daily free message allowance; calls use credits, and signup welcome credits can fund a short call | Companions launched for SuperGrok subscribers at $30 a month (July 2025) |
How do I video call an AI boyfriend instead?
On Prelulu, pick him, say hello in chat, then tap Call and choose Video when you want to see him answer. Start with Dante Marchetti, the ruthless heir who married you three months ago, or Lucien Ashgrave, a vampire lord whose three cold centuries end the moment he looks at you. On a video call he looks at you and answers live in his own voice, you can cut in mid-sentence, and your camera stays off unless you turn it on. Each call runs up to 30 minutes, or as long as your credits cover. AI boyfriend video call shows how a call works, and every boyfriend pinned there offered video when we checked on October 27, 2026.
What to check before you choose an AI boyfriend app
- Is he the product, or a feature? Valentine was one feature inside an assistant app, and the feature was retired. An app built around its characters has less reason to drop them.
- Can you see and hear him live? On a live call you can interrupt him; a clip generated after you ask cannot answer back.
- Does he remember you? Tell him one small detail, come back the next day and see whether it comes up.
- Who sets the pace? Pick an app whose stories follow your lead, so a slow burn stays slow until you decide otherwise.
- What does a minute cost? Separate free texting, any welcome credits and what each minute of calling uses.
Where do these facts come from?
- NBC News: report on Grok's male companion by Bruna Horvath (July 17, 2025).
- 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 (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).
- Prelulu: how the product works today, AI boyfriend video call, memory and plans and pricing.
All pages were read on October 31, 2026. xAI and Animation Inc. may change their apps after that date, so check their own pages for the latest.
See him answer you tonight
Text him within a daily free message allowance, then call when you want to see him. Signup welcome credits can fund a short first call; check your wallet and current plans for more time.