What Happened to Grok's 'Deep Research' Mode? Here's What Users Are Saying
If you’ve been using Grok, xAI's answer to the AI chatbot boom, you probably got familiar with its "Deep Research" mode. It was, for many, the killer feature. The thing that made Grok stand out in a sea of AI assistants. But recently, you might have logged in, ready to dive deep into a topic, only to find… it’s gone.
Vanished. Poof.
And you’re not alone. A growing number of users have been scratching their heads, wondering why this powerful tool suddenly disappeared. So, what’s the deal? Honestly, nobody seems to have a straight answer from the folks at xAI, but the user community has been buzzing with theories, frustrations, & a whole lot of questions. Let’s get into it.
First, What Was "Deep Research" & Why Did People Love It?
Before we get into the disappearance, let's talk about why this feature was so cool in the first place. Launched to much fanfare, "Deep Research" was Grok's superpower. Unlike a standard AI chat response that pulls from its existing knowledge, this mode actively went out & scoured the web for information.
Here’s what made it a game-changer for a lot of people:
- It Was THOROUGH: We're not talking about a quick Google search. Deep Research would dive into dozens of sources to gather information. Some users reported it visiting over 90 different websites for a single query. This meant the answers were incredibly detailed & comprehensive.
- Transparency with Sources: One of the biggest wins for "Deep Research" was its transparency. It didn't just give you a wall of text; it showed its work. You could see a list of all the web pages it visited to compile the answer. This was HUGE for anyone doing serious research, fact-checking, or just wanting to know where the AI got its info. It was a great way to avoid the "AI hallucination" problem where chatbots just make things up.
- It Was a Research Assistant, Not Just a Chatbot: For tasks like SEO research, content creation, & academic queries, "Deep Research" was a beast. People were pitting it against competitors like Perplexity AI & even ChatGPT's research functions & finding that Grok often came out on top, delivering more in-depth results. It felt less like a chatbot & more like a junior research assistant that could save you hours of work.
For businesses trying to stay on top of market trends or create well-researched content, this was an invaluable tool. It’s the kind of feature that makes you feel like you have a secret weapon.
So, Where Did It Go? The Disappearance & User Confusion
Around the middle of 2025, users started noticing that the "Deep Research" button was gone. At first, it seemed like a bug. A Reddit thread from about a month ago shows a user who just paid for "Supergrok" only to find the feature missing. Another user in the thread mentioned that the "deep research and think buttons still appear on the web version but not the app version," suggesting it might be an issue with the mobile app.
But as time went on, more users chimed in. Another Reddit thread titled "Deepersearch gone from Grok?" popped up, with users reporting the feature had vanished for them too. The confusion was palpable. Was it a bug? Was it intentionally removed? Was it now part of a higher, more expensive subscription tier?
The lack of any official announcement from xAI or Elon Musk has only fueled the speculation. For paying customers, this is particularly frustrating. One user who contacted support about the missing feature called the experience "useless" & ultimately requested a refund. When you're paying for a premium service, a core feature vanishing without a trace is a pretty bad look.
What Are Users Speculating?
Without an official word, users have been left to come up with their own theories. Here are some of the most common ones floating around:
It's a Bug: This is the most optimistic take. The feature might be temporarily down due to a technical issue, especially since some users reported it still being available on the web version while missing from the mobile app. This would be the best-case scenario, but the longer it stays missing, the less likely this seems.
It's Being Reworked: xAI might have taken the feature offline to improve it. Perhaps they are refining the research process or integrating it more seamlessly into the main chat function. If this is the case, some communication would go a long way in keeping users happy.
It Was Too Expensive to Run: The kind of in-depth web crawling "Deep Research" was doing is computationally expensive. It's possible that the feature was costing xAI too much to maintain at its current price point, & they've pulled it to re-evaluate their strategy.
It's Being Moved to a Higher Tier: Another possibility is that "Deep Research" will be reintroduced as part of an even more premium subscription. This would be a classic "bait and switch" in the eyes of many users who subscribed specifically for that feature, & it would likely be met with a lot of backlash.
The Impact on User Trust
Regardless of the reason, the way this has been handled is a lesson in how not to treat your user base. When users rely on a specific feature for their work or research, it can't just disappear without explanation. It erodes trust & makes people hesitant to invest in the platform long-term.
For businesses that were starting to integrate Grok into their workflows, this kind of unpredictability is a major red flag. How can you rely on a tool that might have its most valuable features removed overnight? It's a tough pill to swallow.
For businesses looking for reliable AI solutions, especially for customer-facing applications, this highlights the need for stable & predictable platforms. For instance, companies that need to provide consistent & accurate information to their customers 24/7 can't afford to have their tools change without notice. This is where building on a dedicated AI platform can make a HUGE difference.
Here's the thing, if you're a business that needs to ensure your customers get instant, reliable answers, you need a tool you can control. That’s where a solution like Arsturn comes into play. It helps businesses create custom AI chatbots trained on their OWN data. This means you're not at the mercy of a big tech company's sudden product changes. You can build a no-code AI chatbot that provides instant customer support, answers questions, & engages with website visitors 24/7, all based on the information you provide. It’s about building a predictable & meaningful connection with your audience through personalized AI.
What Happens Next?
For now, the fate of "Deep Research" remains a mystery. Users are left hoping that the feature will return, but there’s a growing sense of frustration & disappointment. Will xAI bring it back? Will they offer an explanation? Only time will tell.
It’s a stark reminder that in the fast-moving world of AI, features can come & go. For users, it's a bit of a wild ride. For businesses, it's a lesson in the importance of choosing partners & platforms that offer stability & clear communication.
Hopefully, we'll get some answers soon. It would be a shame to see such a promising & powerful feature fade away without so much as a goodbye.
Let me know what you think. Have you lost access to "Deep Research"? What are your theories? Drop a comment below. I hope this was helpful