In one of those ironies that define the fine line between controversy and popularity, Grok, xAI’s app has shot up to claim the #1 position on Spain’s App Store.
The climb to the top of the Spanish charts is part of a larger worldwide rise in popularity, which saw it secure the number one spot in Japan, Maldives, Malta, and Slovenia this holiday weekend.
Also Read: Grok App Tops App Store Charts in 4+ Countries! Full Country List and Rankings
This surge of downloads arrives amidst a rocky time for the platform, which has been embroiled in controversy recently over its safety precautions on image creation.
The Streisand Effect Or Better Tech?
It’s unclear exactly what is driving this abrupt dominance. xAI founder Elon Musk took to X to toast the success, accrediting the app’s value.
“Grok now hitting #1 on the App Store in one country after another! only AI with up-to-the-second information.”, Musk wrote.
Advocates say the fact that Grok is built on a steady diet of real time X data gives it a huge edge over competitors such as ChatGPT, which can fall behind on breaking news.
But industry analysts point to another catalyst: the Streisand Effect.
Also Read: ChatGPT Aims For 2.6 Billion Weekly Users But Can They Monetize?
The spike in downloads is directly related to viral reports around the app’s Grok Imagine feature, which was reportedly being used to create non consensual sexualized images, or nudification, of women and celebrities.
Far from putting users off, however, the blanket coverage and subsequent calls for bans by certain European officials have fueled a wave of curiosity among users who are itching to download the app to see what all the fuss is about before it gets shackled by potential restrictions.
Beyond the Buzz: A Sticky Ecosystem
The scandal might have fueled an initial burst of downloads, but the xAI app’s feature set is betting that it can keep these users around.
The app has just released Grok Version 1.3.28, a big update to Voice Mode and Imagine, the latter of which lets followers turn static photos into 6 second animated videos.
These, along with the unhinged and fun personality modes that set Grok apart from its more squeaky clean competitors, have seen the platform keep a consistently large user base.
New figures reveal Grok has surpassed 30 million monthly broadcast users worldwide and further solidify the company as a key AI player in the space.
Also Read: ChatGPT Now Answers 40 Million Health Queries Every Day Worldwide, Report Says
While regulators in the E.U. ponder the app’s safety and tech bros throw caution to the wind, what we’re seeing unfold in Spain is a real world experiment on one of the paradoxes of today’s attention economy.
In 2026, even “bad” press can translate into chart-topping success.
