Elon Musk says xAI will ‘take immediate legal action’ against Apple, which allegedly favors ChatGPT and OpenAI by never featuring Grok or X in the App Store.
X is a social media app that has reached number one in the top free news apps and is number 38 in the top free apps list. Grok is number six in the free list rankings.
However, these rankings aren’t good enough for Elon Musk, who is threatening legal action against Apple for alleged antitrust violations. He states that Apple’s work with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into iOS while snubbing Grok is a sign that Apple has a bias and will never allow Grok or X to reach number 1.
Apple is behaving in a manner that makes it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1 in the App Store, which is an unequivocal antitrust violation.
xAI will take immediate legal action.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 12, 2025
Musk continues his arguments via several quote posts of various accounts on X repeating the claims. He shares “what choice do we have?” and argues that the lack of support in the “Must Have” section shows Apple is “playing politics.”
A post shared by Musk also makes the claim that users should be able to choose which AI is available on the platform, like choosing Grok over ChatGPT. However, it isn’t known whether that limitation is because Apple has failed to engage in conversation with xAI, or if xAI is unwilling to meet Apple’s strict privacy requirements for operating AI on its platform.
AppleInsider has reached out to Apple for comment.
X isn’t a news app, and Grok is fairly popular anyway
The tirade against Apple seems to be an odd one, given the relative success of both apps. X, formerly Twitter, is clinging onto an enthusiastic user base that are generally hardcore Musk supporters, celebrities, and athletes.
It is unclear why the social media app is in the news category in the App Store, considering it’s not a reliable resource for news beyond journalists you can follow. It ranks above other social networks in the news section — Reddit and Nextdoor.
Perhaps choosing the news category is a play that will ensure the app is ranked number one when it couldn’t compete on equal ground with Threads, WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, and other juggernauts. X just isn’t what Twitter was as its human audience shrunk significantly after the Musk takeover, and some studies show a majority of traffic on X is bots.
On the other hand, Grok is a competitive AI platform that has proven popular even outside of Musk’s circle of raving followers. In spite of its recent “Mecha Hitler” meltdown, Grok remains number six on the App Store overall and number two in productivity, behind ChatGPT.
These ranking systems are purely numeric and aren’t manipulated by Apple in any way. Musk claims that Apple is artificially limiting his apps’ ability to rank higher than competitors like ChatGPT — which isn’t the case.
Musk also takes issue with the apps promoted in the “Must-Have Apps” section on the App Store. This area showcases TikTok, Tinder, Duolingo, and Youtube on the front page, with a big “Try Now” widget for ChatGPT.
Grok isn’t shown in any of the promotional, human-curated areas of the App Store. Productivity sections focus on email and notes apps with no sign of Grok or ChatGPT in these areas.
In social apps like Mastodon, Bluesky, Signal, Pinterest, and Snapchat are promoted in “Essential Social Apps.” X is nowhere to be found in social or news human-curated sections.
Another round of Apple versus Musk
Monday isn’t the first time Apple and Musk have crossed paths. The controversial figure has previously shared misinformation about Apple and OpenAI’s deal, likely in irritation about not being offered similar.
Musk also railed against Apple for not using his satellite service, not advertising on X (they’ve since returned under government pressure), and even fought against Apple’s 30% commission.
Of course, Apple has no obligation to promote X or Grok. The stigma of those apps and the communities and controversies found on each are likely more than enough to drive Apple and its editorial staff far away from promoting either.
And if Musk wants to cry antitrust under the veil of consumer choice, perhaps he can look at allowing Tesla vehicles to run CarPlay. You know, in the name of freedom of choice.
It is difficult to ascertain exactly how the right-leaning government will react to such a lawsuit as it likely depends on the district of the lawsuit and the judge assigned. Apple also has a right to pick and choose with whom it chooses to do business with in the free market.
