Then I found the automation feature tucked inside Grok, which is free to everyone on the free tier, not locked behind a subscription. You can set up at least two automated prompts that run on a schedule and notify you right in the app. Mine both fire at 8am: one pulls a tight AI news roundup, the other tracks my stocks across different countries with sentiment and a suggested action attached. No opening apps. No remembering. It just shows up.
What Grok's Automation Feature Actually Does
Under the hood, an automation is just a saved prompt with a schedule attached. You write out exactly what you want Grok to search for, how you want it formatted, and how often it should run, then Grok does the work in the background and pushes you a notification when it's done. You never have to open the app and type the question yourself.
The free tier currently supports at least two automations running at the same time, each on its own independent schedule. That's plenty for a morning briefing and a stock check, and you can edit either one later without starting over. If you outgrow two, you just swap one out for whichever prompt matters more that week.
The AI News Prompt I Use Every Morning
Here's the exact prompt behind my 8am AI news notification:
> Search the web for AI news from the last 24 hours. Identify the 5 most significant stories, prioritize major model releases, research breakthroughs, funding/M&A, and policy moves, and skip rumors and minor product tweaks. For each story write a bold one-line headline, a 1-2 sentence summary, and the source name with a link. Format as a numbered list, under 300 words total. End with one line, \"Why it matters,\" for the single most important story.
A few things make this one work. Telling it \"last 24 hours\" keeps the results current instead of recycling stories from last week. Asking for exactly 5 stories, with a clear priority order and a list of what to skip, keeps it from turning into a clickbait dump. And the closing \"why it matters\" line gives you one plain takeaway even on a morning when you only have ten seconds to glance at your phone.
You can narrow this however you like since it's just plain language. Swap in \"only AI news related to healthcare\" or \"only from TechCrunch and The Verge\" and Grok will follow it the same way.
The Stock Tracker Prompt That Replaced Three Apps
The second automation is the one that actually saved me the most app-switching. My money is spread across a few different markets, and checking it used to mean opening a different app for each country. Now one prompt covers all of it:
> Search the web for today's stock market activity. Give me the current price and percent change for [list your tickers or indices, for example S&P 500, FTSE 100, Nikkei 225, plus individual stocks like AAPL and TSLA]. For each one, add a one-line sentiment read, bullish, bearish, or neutral, based on today's news, and flag anything that moved more than 3% with a one-line reason why. End with one plain-language suggestion, a stock to watch or a general takeaway for the day. Keep it under 250 words and send me the result.
What makes this useful isn't just the prices, you can get those from a widget. It's mixing markets from different countries into a single request, adding sentiment and a reason instead of just raw numbers, and closing with an actual suggestion instead of a wall of data you still have to interpret yourself. Swap in your own tickers, currencies, or a specific sector you're watching and the format stays the same.
Setting Up Your Own Automation in Grok
Getting one running takes a few minutes. Open the Grok app and find the automations section in the menu. Tap to add a new one, then write or paste your prompt exactly as you want it run, being specific about format, length, and what to skip. Choose the time you want it delivered, save it, and you're done. Both of your automations run independently, so an 8am news brief and an 8am stock check won't interfere with each other. You can go back and edit the wording or the schedule any time, and nothing is locked in permanently.
What Else You Could Automate Beyond News and Stocks
The same two rules apply to any automation: be specific about the format and length you want, and tell it exactly what to skip. Once you've got that down, the news and stock briefings are just the start. A few ideas worth trying: a morning weather and traffic check timed to your school drop-off, a weekly dinner idea prompt built around what's usually in your fridge, a price-drop alert for a specific product you're waiting to buy, or a Sunday-night meal plan so you're not deciding at 5pm on a Tuesday. None of these need a new app. They just need a clearly written prompt and a time to run.
FAQ
Is Grok's automation feature really free? Yes, it's available on the free tier, not locked behind a paid plan. Free accounts can currently run at least two automated prompts at once, each on its own schedule, which is enough for a daily news briefing and a stock check without paying for anything extra.
How many automations can I run at once? Free tier accounts get at least two active automations running at the same time. If you hit that limit, you can edit an existing automation instead of deleting and rebuilding it, or delete one you no longer check to open up the slot for something new.
Can I get an update more than once a day? You can set any automation to repeat daily at whatever time works for you, though a single daily run tends to cover most needs. Wanting updates at both 8am and 6pm would use two of your available slots instead of one.
What if I want a different format than a numbered list? Just say so in the prompt. Grok follows plain-language formatting instructions, so asking for bullet points, a short paragraph, or a table works the same way as asking for a numbered list.