Grok Bot help: the complete troubleshooting guide

Most Grok Bot problems clear with the least destructive step: fully quit the app, reopen it and try again. A Bot's cloud work can carry on while the desktop or phone app is disconnected, so a dead window does not mean the work stopped. Use this page as an index. Find your symptom, follow the steps in order, and stop as soon as it works.

This guide re-organizes SpaceXSI's and Cursor's troubleshooting help, as it read on October 30, 2026, in our own words, and adds the places where our other guides go deeper. Menu names change between releases, so where wording differs from your app, trust your app.

Find your problem#

Sign-in does not complete#

1. Keep Grok Bot open while the browser handles authentication.
2. Confirm the browser shows a successful Cursor sign-in.
3. Switch back to the app yourself if it does not regain focus.
4. Choose Sign in on the welcome screen again, or Sign In with Cursor in Settings if you are already inside.
5. Confirm your account actually has Grok Bot access.

If your organization uses SSO, complete the organization login rather than a different personal account. If your access is a seat on a self-serve Grok Business plan, choose Sign in with Grok in the browser and use the Grok account that holds the seat.

Sign-in loop or a persistent authentication error#

1. Update the desktop app, then sign out and back in.
2. Clear browser cache and cookies for cursor.com and x.ai, then sign in again in a private window.
3. On desktop, also try signing in at x.ai/bot with the same Cursor account. If the phone loops, sign in on desktop first.
4. If the error is recent, wait 30 to 60 minutes and retry; some authentication errors clear when your session refreshes.

Reinstalling usually does not help. Some failures cannot be fixed from your side: looped account-link flows (including during SuperGrok or X Premium+ linking) and access blocks caused by a failed phone verification. Contact support with the exact error text and the steps you tried, and for a phone verification block, a screenshot of the blocked screen.

An error that mentions Legacy Privacy Mode means your account is on a data mode that does not allow the storage Grok Bot needs. Change the Cursor data setting, or ask your administrator. More cases, including the October 30 move of sign-in domains, are in our Windows sign-in guide.

Is Grok Bot down?#

The app does not show service status. Check the Grok Bot row on the status page, now at status.x.ai (older status.cursor.com addresses redirect there), and subscribe to updates if you want alerts. See Is Grok Bot down?.

• Incident open: wait for it to resolve, then resend. Do not Reset or reinstall; neither fixes a service problem, and Reset can lose very recent changes if the computer cannot be reached to save them.
• No incident, and you see "Bot failed to respond" or "Model provider is overloaded": wait a moment and resend. If it still fails, fully quit and reopen.
• A Bot cannot finish a turn while the computer says Reconnecting or Couldn't Reach Grok Bot's Computer; see the next section.
• If the computer is connected and the same prompt keeps failing, contact support with the error title, the request ID and a screenshot of the computer status. Our failed to respond guide has the full order.

The computer is still setting up#

First setup and computer updates can take several minutes. Keep the app open. You may see "Setting up your Grok Bot…", "Updating Grok Bot's Computer", or on the phone "Starting your computer…". A slow update can say "Update still running" or "Taking longer than usual"; Keep waiting is the safe choice unless it looks stuck. Large downloads and data transfers explain most delays.

• If progress is still changing, wait.
• If it fails or stops changing, follow the next section.
• Choose Recover only if the update looks stuck and the app offers Recover computer. If it does not, keep waiting.
• If Update says your computer's files are not backed up yet, nothing changes. Wait and try again; do not Reset to force it. If it keeps saying so, contact support.
• If Settings says "An agent couldn't pause in time, so the computer was not updated", let that Bot finish and choose Update again.

The computer cannot be reached#

Bot profiles and saved conversations are not lost while the computer is unreachable. Chats are stored separately, and Bots, files and logins are safe while it reconnects.

1. If it says Reconnecting or Couldn't Reach Grok Bot's Computer, wait, then choose Retry. Do not Reset.
2. Fully quit and reopen the app.
3. If an update is offered, open Settings, Computer and choose Update Bot's Computer.
4. Choose Recover computer if it still cannot reconnect, or if an update looks stuck and Recover is shown. The confirmation dialog calls it Recover Grok Bot's Computer.
5. Use Reset only after that. On iPhone and Android, Settings, Bot, Bot Computer has Reset Computer, but updating and recovering need the desktop app.

Reconnecting and Recover usually take a few minutes, and you can choose Continue in Background. Do not start a second Update or Reset while one is running; repeated resets can interrupt a restore that is still finishing. If Recover or Reset fails, use Retry Recovery or Retry Reset once, then stop and contact support.

What each option keeps#

If Bots recently disappeared, or saving failed, contact support before using Recover or Reset. Folders such as node_modules and Python virtual environments are not saved; reinstall them after any of these.

Chats or Bots look missing#

They are usually not deleted. A computer problem does not delete conversation history, so check before doing anything else:

1. Fully quit and reopen the app.
2. Open the same account on another device, including the phone. Bots and conversations are shared across devices on one account.
3. Open Hidden Bots in the desktop sidebar, or Show Hidden Bots on the phone. Hide from sidebar only removes a Bot from the list; hidden Bots stay active and keep their history. Use Show in sidebar (desktop) or Unhide (phone).
4. Confirm you are signed in to the same Cursor account.

Do not use Recover or Reset to look for them. If they are missing on every device, contact support with the Bot name and a sidebar screenshot. If Bots vanished after switching to The X Subscription, they are often on another account; see the sign-in guide above.

Files are missing from the computer#

Chat history lives outside the computer, so deleting files inside it, even with rm -rf, does not delete chats. Grok Bot keeps a durable copy of synced computer data and restores from it when the computer reopens, so synced files usually come back. If the computer is still empty after Recover, stop making changes and contact support. Files that exist only on your own Mac or PC are not covered; keep your own backups.

The computer is low on disk space#

This concerns the Bots' cloud computer, not your laptop. When it is nearly full, the Bot tells you once in chat, names the largest files or folders with sizes and offers to delete them. Nothing is deleted unless you say yes. Cleanup affects computer files only, never chats, and low disk space is not data loss.

A Bot appears stuck#

• Check the status in the sidebar and the conversation.
• Open the computer and see whether the Bot is waiting on a page.
• Look for a question, approval, login, CAPTCHA or secret request.
• Send a short redirect if its approach is wrong.
• Send "Stop now" if the work should end.

A computer-use task already running on that Bot's screen may have to finish or be redirected before another can start.

Your usage limit is reached#

If the Bot stops and says you hit your usage limit, nothing is broken: your weekly usage is spent and resets each week. To continue now, add prepaid credit (The X Subscription), turn on on-demand usage (legacy Cursor plans) or move to a bigger plan. If on-demand is on, the On-demand monthly limit caps it, though a Bot already working can finish past that limit. Details: weekly usage limit and our pricing guide.

A website keeps asking for login#

1. Take over the computer and sign in yourself.
2. Complete two-factor authentication or the CAPTCHA.
3. Confirm the signed-in page has loaded before you give control back.
4. Tell the Bot to continue from the current page.

Never paste a password or code into ordinary chat. Some sites expire sessions or verify each sensitive action, and that cannot always be avoided.

Fingerprint, Face ID, Windows Hello and passkeys saved on your laptop or phone do not work on the Bot's computer. For a work app behind Okta or single sign-on, choose Take over on the Computer card marked Action needed, sign in with a method your company allows there (a password with a code, or a push approval on your phone) and choose I'm done. On Mac and Windows you can also use a hardware security key: turn on Use hardware security keys under Settings, General, Security Key.

Because every Bot shares the computer's sessions, see the shared computer guide before you sign in to anything sensitive.

A website times out or won't connect#

The Bot's computer reaches the internet through Cursor's shared network, and some sites drop connections from it even when the address opens on your own device. You may see a timeout, a secure-connection error or a page that never loads. Update, Recover and Reset do not change this, so skip them.

Two settings under Settings, Computer, Your computer send the work through your own device instead:

• Route traffic through this computer: the Bot's browser uses your desktop's connection, so the site sees your network and IP address. It applies to new connections and works while the desktop app is open. If the row asks for a computer update first, choose Update. If your team admin turned local routing off, the switch is locked.
• Execution on this computer: commands, scripts and API calls run on your desktop instead of the cloud computer. Choose Ask every time or Always allow.

If neither fits, contact support with the site address and a screenshot.

A plugin will not install or authenticate#

A connect card appears only when an app needs you to sign in. Do not wait for one:

1. Open Connect apps, select the connected count next to the title and confirm the plugin is listed as installed.
2. Open the app and choose Authenticate (Authorize on the phone).
3. Finish authorization with the intended account in the browser within about 10 minutes.
4. Return and retry the task.

If a card says it is waiting, choose Reopen. If it says authorization failed or did not finish, choose Retry. If the button becomes Reconnect, choose that.

Added means installed, not signed in. Read the status in Connect apps:

If it still fails, or authorization was revoked in the source service, Remove it, add it again and sign in. Check whether the connector needs an organization-provided variable or admin configuration. If re-authorizing succeeds but it still shows disconnected, contact support with the app name.

The X plugin is connected but private X requests fail#

Public X is built in: Bots can search posts, profiles, mentions, trends and news without connecting X and without X API credits. The X plugin is only for account-private data, such as DMs, bookmarks, your home timeline and who liked your posts. It runs on your own X developer account, which needs X API credits.

1. Sign in at console.x.com with the same X account you connected.
2. Check the credit balance. If it shows $0.00, buy prepaid credits there.
3. Retry in Grok Bot; you do not need to reconnect.

Reconnecting the plugin and changing your Grok Bot or Cursor plan do not add X API credits, and connecting X does not always apply starter credits yet.

A secret value seems missing#

Saved values are never shown again, including in Shell. On a shared Bot, if the name is still listed under Secrets, the value is still stored. Recover, Reset and computer updates can remove a secret you typed into a file or an installed tool, but not one saved with the secure card.

An attachment cannot be read#

Check that:

• The file is within the limit: 25 MB for an image, 250 MB for a document, audio or other file, 1 GB for a video; images also count toward 200 MB per message.
• No more than 20 files are on one message on desktop.
• The file is not encrypted or password-protected.
• The upload finished before you sent.
• The type is supported.

Try exporting an unusual format as PDF, CSV, plain text or an image. Do not remove document protection if the resulting file would break your data policy.

A routine did not run#

Open the routine and check that it is enabled and not Paused, that When to run shows the schedule and time zone you expect, that the owning Bot still exists, that required plugins are still authenticated, that the computer can reach the source system, and that usage or access has not been paused. Then read the recent run history.

If the routine shows Test in the desktop app, use it only with safe input, because a test run can perform real external actions. Many routines do not show Test; ask the Bot to do the same work once in chat with a safe input instead.

For event-triggered routines, confirm the source channel, repository and matching rule are still valid. If a routine is not paused but has not run for 24 hours or more with no error shown, report a bug with the Bot name and routine details. More: routines not running.

A run fails with an error#

Copy the request ID from the message and try the task again. If the same prompt fails on a fresh run, report a bug with the error text and request ID.

An approval expired or is blocked#

An approval in a chat you are in waits for you. An approval from work that started without you, such as a routine, a trigger or a message from another Bot, expires after about 30 minutes; the card shows Expired and the action does not run. To catch them in time, turn on Notifications for Bots that run routines, use Always allow for actions you truly trust, and ask the Bot to retry after one expires.

If a card is no longer actionable, read the target and arguments, then reject or cancel it if you can, send the Bot a replacement instruction, and ask it to regenerate the action with the corrected scope.

If an action keeps asking for approval, look for a matching Ask first rule, including team rules your admin enforces. Ask first beats Allow automatically. Rules sit in Settings, General (this help text places them under Bot, Custom Rules; SpaceXSI's newer docs call the screen Auto-review). See permission boundaries.

Local computer work is refused#

Cloud-computer work and local work use different permissions. Open Settings, Computer, Your computer, find Execution on this computer (Execution on Local Computer until your desktop is listed) and review the policy. Keep local access off unless a task truly needs files or commands on the computer in front of you.

A Bot may report "Local tools are turned off. The user has set local tool access to Never" even when the setting is Always allow or Ask every time. Cursor lists this as a known issue on its side. Your setting is right, and restarting, reinstalling or changing the setting will not clear it.

A Bot can't use your phone's apps#

Keep Grok Bot open on the phone while the Bot works, and ask from your own chat with a Bot you own. On the phone, open Settings, Connect apps and choose iPhone or Android next to All. If an app shows Denied, choose Open Settings and turn it on.

@bot did not reply on X#

Tagging @bot is not available in every region yet. It also stays quiet when a post has a video, also tags @grok, or fails internal moderation.

The app hangs on launch#

Fully quit and relaunch (on Mac, Quit from the menu bar). If it hangs on every launch, contact support with your platform and Grok Bot version.

Grok Bot says Update required#

The app asks for an update when your version is more than 14 days old and a newer one exists. It covers the window with Update required. Choose Update, wait for the download, then Restart to update. Your Bots keep running in the cloud the whole time. If the download fails, choose Try again or Download the latest version and install it yourself.

• Linux: the screen may show a command. Choose Copy command, run it, restart. Debian or Ubuntu: sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade grok-bot. Fedora and other RPM systems: sudo dnf upgrade --refresh grok-bot.
• iPhone and Android: choose Update Grok Bot to open the App Store or Google Play.

Update Grok Bot#

The app and the Bot's computer update separately.

• The desktop app checks by itself. When one is ready the account menu shows New update available; choose Install, then Restart to update.
• To check manually: Settings, Updates, Check for Updates, then Restart to Update. With Automatic Updates on (the default) a downloaded update also installs while you are away.
• On a Linux .deb or .rpm install, Check for Updates only tells you a version is out; update with your package manager.
• Phone updates come from the App Store or Google Play.
• To rebuild the cloud computer: Settings, Computer, Update Bot's Computer.

Updating the desktop app does not reset the cloud computer. If the app closed to update but still shows the old version, check the version under Support, About, quit and reopen, then try again. If it is still old, download the latest version from cursor.com/dashboard/bot and install it over the current one. Your Bots and chats belong to your account, so they remain. If the old version keeps coming back, contact support with the version and platform.

Before contacting support#

Desktop: account menu, Support, Send Feedback (on Mac also Help, Send Feedback). Select Include current conversation ID when the problem is in the open chat. Phone: Settings, Send Feedback; for a problem with one Bot, choose it and keep Include Bot ID on. For the support team, email support@x.ai from the address on your Grok Bot account; billing and cancellation questions go to the same address.

To find your version, open Support, About and choose Copy version info (version, release track and OS). To copy a request ID, right-click the message and choose Copy request ID, or hover the message, open More message actions and choose it. If the menu does not offer it, that message has none; send the error text and a screenshot.

Collect:

• the email on your Grok Bot account
• the app version and platform (Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS or Android)
• what you were doing, and the Bot or routine name
• the exact error text, or a screenshot of the error or plan screen
• the time and time zone
• the full request ID or conversation ID, if shown
• the steps you already tried

Never include passwords, one-time codes, private keys or secret values.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the first thing to try when Grok Bot misbehaves?#

Fully quit the app (on Mac use Quit from the menu bar, not just closing the window), reopen it and try again. Most problems clear with a full restart, and it is the least destructive step.

Are my chats lost if the computer cannot be reached?#

No. Chats are stored separately from the computer, so Bot profiles and saved conversations are not lost while it reconnects. Do not use Recover or Reset to look for missing chats.

Should I Reset or reinstall during an outage?#

No. Neither fixes a service incident, and a Reset can lose very recent changes if the computer cannot be reached to save them. Wait for the incident to be resolved and resend.

Where do I send feedback or reach support?#

In the desktop app, open the account menu, choose Support, then Send Feedback. For the support team, email support@x.ai from the address on your Grok Bot account and include your version, platform, the exact error and any request ID.

Do I lose installed apps when I recover the computer?#

A software update keeps everything. A full computer update, Recover and Reset keep your Bots, files and logins but remove installed apps and packages, so reinstall folders such as node_modules or a Python virtual environment afterwards.