Elon Musk's Grok Imagine Tutorial: Turn Any Photo into a Video

Transform your old photos into stunning AI-generated videos in seconds using Grok Imagine, the powerful new feature from Elon Musk's xAI.

Have you ever looked at an old baby picture or a cherished family photo and wished you could see it come to life? With Grok Imagine, you can now turn any static image into a captivating video in less than 20 seconds. In this tutorial, I'll walk you through exactly how to do it.

Key Takeaways

Grok Imagine is a new AI video feature within the Grok app that can turn any photo into a 6-second video

Videos are generated incredibly fast—typically in under 15 seconds

You can use images created by other Grok users OR upload your own personal photos

The feature offers four creative modes: Normal, Fun, Spicy, and Custom

Custom prompts work best when kept simple (e.g., color changes rather than complex animations)

You can download videos directly to your phone or share them to X (Twitter) or Instagram

What is Grok Imagine?

Grok is xAI's answer to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and other large language models. Led by Elon Musk—the same visionary behind Tesla's Cybertruck and SpaceX—Grok has been getting significant promotion lately, especially its new Imagine feature.

What makes Grok Imagine special is its ability to take any photo you upload (or one that Grok creates) and transform it into a video with remarkable speed and quality.

Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1: Download the Grok App

First, you'll need to download the Grok app on your iPhone:

Open the App Store

Search for "Grok" in the search bar

Download the app (it should be the first result)

Open the app once downloaded

Step 2: Navigate to Imagine

When you open the app, you'll see two main options at the top:

Ask - for text-based AI interactions

Imagine - for image and video creation

Click on Imagine to access the video generation feature.

Step 3: Choose Your Starting Point

You have two options:

Option A: Use an existing image from the gallery

Browse through images created by other users

Find one you like (dragons, landscapes, portraits, etc.)

Click on it, then click "Make Video"

Option B: Upload your own photo

Look for the prompt that says "Make a video from your photos"

Select a photo from your camera roll

The video generation begins automatically

Step 4: Watch the Magic Happen

Once you've selected an image, Grok Imagine gets to work:

Progress updates show you the percentage complete (15%, 27%, 36%...)

Total generation time is typically under 15 seconds

The result is a roughly 6-second video

Step 5: Customize with Different Modes

If you're not satisfied with the first result, you can regenerate with different styles:

Normal Mode: Standard video generation
Fun Mode: Adds playful, dramatic elements (a dragon might start laughing!)
Spicy Mode: Takes creative liberties (results can be surprising)
Custom Mode: Add your own prompt

Pro tip for Custom Mode: Keep your prompts simple. Instead of "make the dragon fly in a circle and fly away," try "make the dragon turn green." Single changes work better than complex sequences.

Step 6: Download and Share

When you're happy with your video:

Click the download button to save to your phone

Use the share button to post directly to X or Instagram

Toggle the sound button to mute if needed

Real-World Examples

I tested this with several personal photos:

Baby Picture Test: I uploaded an old baby picture of myself. The AI generated a video where baby-me started reaching for an umbrella in the frame. The quality matched the original photo, and the movement looked natural for a baby that age.

Multiple People Test: I uploaded a photo of me and my sister as kids. Even with two people in the frame, Grok Imagine handled it well, creating coordinated movement for both subjects.

Custom Creation Test: I prompted Grok to create "a cartoon frog wearing roller skates that are pink." It generated the image in about 3 seconds and the video in under 20 seconds.

A Thought-Provoking Question

This technology raises an interesting philosophical question: How will AI-generated videos affect our memories? When you can create realistic footage of moments that never happened, will it alter or create false memories? It's something worth considering as this technology becomes more widespread.

Get Started Today

The barrier to entry couldn't be lower:

Download the free Grok app

Upload any photo

Have a video in seconds

Whether you want to bring old family photos to life, create engaging social media content, or just experiment with AI creativity, Grok Imagine makes it remarkably accessible.

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Ready to try it yourself? Watch the full tutorial on YouTube and subscribe to Shanee Moret's channel for more AI tutorials and personal branding strategies.