xAI develops voice mode for iOS app with Grok and ElevenLabs models

· 2 min read
Grok

xAI is working on a voice mode for its standalone Grok app for iOS which is powered by its own voice model as well as a model from 11 Labs. Recently, the voice mode has been discovered in the latest Grok application while this feature is still hidden behind feature flags and not available to the public. Reportedly, there will be a new voice mode icon on the prompt bar, which will open a completely different view to start the voice connection. The button in the middle works as a mute and also indicates the connection status.

There will also be a model selector for the voice mode, where users can potentially switch between the Grok voice or the model from 11 Labs. There will also be several voices to choose from—four different options so far. A Search toggle suggests that Grok voice mode will also have access to real-time data.

The feature itself is not working yet, and it’s unclear in which form it will be released. But it is a very interesting move for xAI. Considering how well this application has been developed, the addition of the voice mode will greatly increase its usage, especially with the upcoming Grok 3 release.

Besides that, some smaller features were spotted there. For instance, there will be a button to allow users to share the Grok application with others, and some other minor tweaks. If released soon, the voice mode on Grok will be directly competing with the voice modes in ChatGPT, and Gemini and also with the voice mode in Perplexity. Other players haven’t advanced their mobile developments to that level yet. Overall, it signals that xAI is really aiming to win this competition and trying to bridge the feature gap with the current leader, OpenAI, as soon as possible on all fronts.