How to Enable and Troubleshoot Spicy Mode in Grok Imagine

What Is Grok Imagine Spicy Mode?

Spicy Mode, quietly released in August 2025, is the built-in adult content option for Grok Imagine, xAI’s official image-to-video generator available on iOS and Android. In simple terms: it’s the only mode from a major AI lab designed to allow more mature themes while still enforcing safety and legality.

Here’s what happens when you enable it:

• You provide an image (via text prompt or upload).
• Grok animates it into a 6–15 second video with automatically added music.
• Spicy Mode increases certain creative parameters that are normally restricted:

1. More mature content – adult themes and suggestive elements (no explicit pornography or minors).
2. Enhanced motion – smoother animation and camera effects.
3. Visual style adjustments – lighting, color, and mood to enhance the scene’s atmosphere.

Official limits:

• No full nudity or sexual acts
• No illegal or harmful content (CSAM, gore, hate speech)
• Recognizable celebrities are automatically blurred to prevent misuse

Why Spicy Mode Feels Different

Many popular AI tools—DALL-E, Midjourney, Runway, and others—quickly restrict certain mature or suggestive prompts. Grok’s Spicy Mode, in contrast, allows users more flexibility with adult themes while still enforcing safety and legality.

Powered by the Aurora video model with a custom content layer, it’s currently the only mainstream tool that lets adult users explore suggestive animation in a controlled, age-gated environment. The app ensures all content is moderated, watermarked, and compliant with platform rules, while giving creators more control over lighting, motion, and stylistic effects than usual.

How to Turn on and Use Spicy Mode in Grok Imagine

Alright, you’ve got the app open and you’re staring at a boring Normal mode button. Let’s fix that in under 60 seconds—no jailbreaks, no VPNs, no begging in DMs.

Step 0: The Absolute Requirements (Skip These = Instant Fail)

• Subscription: SuperGrok or X Premium+ (blue checkmark). Free tier? You get 5 blurry teases per day max. Check pricing here: https://x.ai/grok or https://help.x.com/en/using-x/x-premium
• App only: iOS or Android Grok app (latest version). Web grok.com still blocks Spicy completely.
• Age gate: You MUST be verified 18+ or it stays locked forever.

How to verify your age on X:

1. Go to your profile settings and enter your date of birth if it’s not already set.
2. For full verification (required to access age-gated content like Spicy Mode), submit a government-issued ID when prompted by the app’s age assurance system. X’s AI will process your submission and unlock age-restricted features once verified.

Tip: Make sure your app is up to date and your profile info is saved before trying to enable adult content.

Step 1: Turn On NSFW (The Setting 95% of People Miss)

1. Open Grok app and tap your profile pic (top left)
2. Then, go to Settings and find Content Preferences
3. Toggle “Display NSFW content” ON
4. Bonus: Under “Imagine Settings” toggle “Allow sensitive media generation” (shows up only after NSFW is on)

Pro tip: For Android users, force-close the app twice after toggling. Google Play version sometimes caches like it’s 2012.

Step 2: Start Create NSFW Content with Spicy Mode

1. Go to the Imagine Tab: Navigate to the dedicated Imagine section (usually via the bottom navigation bar).
2. Generate or Upload: You must start with an image. Either type any prompt and generate an image first, or upload your own image for animation. (Note: Spicy Mode is initially hidden and only appears once an image is selected.)
3. Initiate Video Creation: Tap the image to enter the preview screen, then select the "Make Video" button (often a prominent blue button).
4. Select the Mode: A dropdown menu will appear, displaying the video options: Normal / Fun / Custom / SPICY.
5. Generate: Choose SPICY and hit generate. In just 10–30 seconds, Grok will deliver a 6–15 second animated clip, typically with auto-generated music.

How to Fix "Spicy Mode Missing" in Grok Imagine

So you opened Grok Imagine, went to "Make Video", and—boom—Spicy Mode just vanished. Don’t panic. It’s not the end of the world (or your creativity). Here’s a quick guide to bring it back, based on what’s actually working right now.

1. Try the Classic 30-Second Reset

This quick fix solves most cases:

• Force close the Grok app.
• Go to your phone’s Settings → Apps → Grok → Storage → Clear Cache (not data).
• Reopen the app, sign out, then sign back in. If it doesn’t show up right away, Android users say doing this twice usually does the trick.

2. Check Your Content Settings

After recent updates, Grok sometimes resets preferences on its own.

Go to Profile → Settings → Content Preferences → "Display NSFW content" and make sure it’s turned ON.

Hidden bonus toggle: After NSFW is on, scroll down to “Imagine Settings” → “Allow sensitive media generation” → flip it green.

Note: Make sure your age has been verified as 18+ through the official process in the app.

3. You Need to Generate Something First

Here’s a weird quirk: Spicy Mode doesn’t appear until you’ve generated at least one image.

Just type any random prompt ("cat in a space suit", for example), generate it, tap on the result, and then select Make Video again — your missing mode should reappear.

4. Update or Reinstall the App

Outdated builds often cause features to disappear.

• Head to the App Store or Google Play and make sure Grok is updated.
• If it already says "Up to date", uninstall and reinstall the app — takes under a minute.
• Using a VPN? Try turning it off. Certain regions may temporarily hide some modes due to local restrictions.

5. Check Your Subscription Tier

If you're operating on the Free or basic Premium tier, you'll quickly encounter daily limits. Many users report that after generating a small number of videos—sometimes as few as five—the animation options temporarily vanish. This isn't a bug; it's the intended function of the usage cap designed to encourage full adoption.

To remove these frustrating cooldowns and unlock truly unrestricted access to all generation modes, you must upgrade to the SuperGrok or Heavy (Premium++) tiers. The Heavy tier essentially grants you unlimited video generation, meaning you won't have to worry about modes disappearing mid-session.

• Free tier: 10 images + 5 videos (then it’s bedtime) 
• SuperGrok: 100 images + 50 videos 
• Premium++ Heavy: 500+ videos a day — basically unlimited spicy chaos

6. Still Not Fixed? Report It

Go to Settings → Help → Report Bug, and describe your issue. xAI regularly releases updates, so any missing features may be restored in a future patch.

Why I Keep Getting "Video Moderated" in Spicy Mode

When you generate a video in Grok Imagine and see the "Video Moderated" message, it usually means the system has flagged the content as not compliant with safety or community rules. Even with Spicy Mode enabled, certain restrictions still apply.

Here are the main reasons videos may be moderated and how to understand these limitations:

1. Moderation Filters Are Constantly Updated

Grok’s moderation system is regularly adjusted to ensure compliance with legal requirements and community safety standards.

• Adaptive Moderation: Prompts or content that previously worked may now be restricted as the system improves.
• Strict content checks: Keywords or combinations that suggest prohibited material are automatically flagged.

2. Absolute Restrictions

Some types of content are never allowed, and the system enforces them automatically:

• Real people & deepfakes: Using the likeness of celebrities, public figures, or known individuals in restricted contexts is blocked.
• Explicit sexual acts: Any content that crosses from general suggestive themes into prohibited sexual activity is not allowed.
• Minors: All content depicting minors in restricted contexts is strictly prohibited.

3. Usage Limits and Technical Constraints

Sometimes moderation occurs due to system limitations rather than your prompt:

• Daily generation limits: Free or lower-tier subscriptions have caps that can trigger moderation when exceeded.
• Complex content: Highly detailed or dynamic scenes may sometimes be restricted automatically to prevent errors.

4. Image-to-Video Differences

The moderation applied to generated images and videos may differ:

• Why the difference? The image filter and the video filter operate on separate systems. Motion, animation, or scene complexity in the video may trigger moderation even if the static image was approved.

Tips for Success

To reduce the chance of moderation:

• Focus on creative and stylistic choices rather than explicit or prohibited content.
• Use the prompts and features within the app as intended, following age verification and subscription rules.
• Check your subscription tier and daily limits to ensure full access.

Conclusion

Spicy Mode in Grok Imagine offers a more flexible content creation experience, but it still operates within clear safety and community guidelines. By following the steps in this guide—ensuring age verification, checking content settings, keeping the app updated, and understanding subscription limits—you can make the most of Grok’s features while staying compliant. Always respect content restrictions and use the app responsibly to enjoy smooth and uninterrupted video generation.