GrokTool Switching in Composer
Grok displays active tools as dismissible chips above the composer, allowing users to activate capabilities like DeepSearch and see them clearly indicated with the ability to remove them with an X button.
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Active tools persist as dismissible chips above composer, keeping capabilities visible without forcing permanent commitment
What's happening
Grok implements tool switching through a chip-based system where active tools appear as dismissible tags above the composer. Tools like DeepSearch can be selected from the toolbar and appear as chips with X buttons for easy removal. The same chip pattern is used for both active tools and file attachments, creating consistent visual language across different input types.
Patterns
DeepSearch, Create Image, Pick Personas, and Voice as selectable tools
Unified chip interface for tools and file attachments
UX Insights
- •Chip-based design clearly shows active tools at all times
- •X button on each chip allows individual tool removal
- •Same chip pattern for tools (DeepSearch) and files (pasted-text.txt)
- •Tools remain visible as chips until explicitly dismissed
- •Toolbar buttons (DeepSearch, Create Image, Pick Personas, Voice) provide quick access
- •Clean visual hierarchy: chips above input, tools in toolbar
- •Model selection (Expert) shown separately from tool selection
Design Decisions
Grok uses a unified chip system for both tool activation and content attachments, creating consistency across different interaction types. The persistent visibility of active tools as chips provides clear feedback about what capabilities are engaged. DeepSearch as a prominent toolbar option suggests research/search as a core use case. The dismissible nature of chips gives users control without forcing permanent commitment to a tool.
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