MT5 Mobile App Guide: How to Trade Forex on Android and iOS

MT5 Mobile App Overview

The MetaTrader 5 mobile application brings professional-grade trading tools to your smartphone. Available for both Android and iOS, the app lets you monitor markets, analyze charts with 30 built-in indicators, place trades with all order types, and manage open positions — all from your pocket.

While the mobile app cannot replace the desktop version for serious analysis and automated trading, it fills a critical role in every trader's toolkit. Markets move 24/5, and the ability to react to price action, adjust stop losses, or close a trade from anywhere can make the difference between a profitable session and a missed opportunity.

The MT5 mobile app syncs with your desktop account in real time. Any trade you place on mobile appears instantly on your desktop, and vice versa. Your account balance, equity, margin, and trade history are always up to date across all devices.

Download and Installation

Android

Open the Google Play Store and search for "MetaTrader 5." Look for the official app by MetaQuotes Software Corp — it has a blue icon with a stylized "M" mark. Tap "Install" and wait for the download to complete. The app is approximately 50 MB.

System requirements: Android 5.0 (Lollipop) or higher. The app works on phones and tablets, with optimized layouts for different screen sizes.

iOS (iPhone and iPad)

Open the Apple App Store and search for "MetaTrader 5." Download the free app from MetaQuotes Software Corp. The app requires iOS 12.0 or later and works on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Apple briefly removed MT4 and MT5 from the App Store in 2022 but reinstated MT5 in early 2023. As of 2026, the app is fully available and regularly updated.

Account Setup and Login

After launching the app for the first time:

1. Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top-left corner
2. Select "Manage Accounts" or the accounts section
3. Tap the "+" button to add a new account
4. Search for your broker by name (e.g., "Exness," "XM," "IC Markets")
5. Select your broker's server from the list
6. Enter your login number and password
7. Tap "Sign In"

You can add multiple broker accounts and switch between them without logging out. This is useful if you trade with different brokers for different asset classes or if you maintain separate accounts for different strategies.

Mobile Interface Walkthrough

The MT5 mobile app organizes its functionality into five main tabs at the bottom of the screen:

Quotes Tab

This is the first screen you see. It displays a list of trading instruments with real-time bid/ask prices. You can switch between a simple list view and a detailed view that shows spread, high, and low prices. Tap any instrument to open its chart or place a trade.

Chart Tab

Full-screen charting with touch controls. Pinch to zoom, swipe to scroll through history, and tap the crosshair icon for precise price/time measurements. The chart tab supports landscape mode for a wider view — rotate your phone for better chart visibility.

Trade Tab

Shows all your open positions, pending orders, and account summary (balance, equity, margin, free margin, and margin level). Swipe left on any position to access quick modification and close options.

History Tab

Complete record of all closed trades and balance operations. You can filter by date range and see detailed statistics including net profit/loss, commission, and swap charges.

Messages Tab

Broker notifications, system messages, and MQL5 community updates. Less commonly used for trading but important for staying informed about broker announcements like holiday schedules or margin requirement changes.

Charting on Mobile

Despite the smaller screen, MT5's mobile charting is remarkably capable. Here is how to get the most from it:

Chart Types and Timeframes

The app supports bar charts, candlestick charts, and line charts. Access all 21 MT5 timeframes by tapping the timeframe selector at the top of the chart. For mobile trading, M15, H1, and H4 are the most practical — smaller timeframes like M1 generate too much noise on a phone screen.

Touch Controls

• Pinch to zoom: Use two fingers to zoom in/out on the price axis
• Swipe left/right: Scroll through historical data
• Long press: Opens a context menu with options for trading, indicators, and objects
• Tap crosshair icon: Activates the crosshair cursor for precise measurements

Drawing Objects

Tap the geometric shapes icon in the chart toolbar to access drawing tools. The mobile app includes horizontal lines, trend lines, Fibonacci retracements, and channels. Drawing with touch requires practice — use the crosshair for precision placement and zoom in when drawing on tight price levels.

Placing and Managing Orders

The MT5 mobile app supports all order types available on the desktop version:

Order Type	Use Case
Market Execution	Buy or sell immediately at current price
Buy Limit / Sell Limit	Enter at a better price than current market
Buy Stop / Sell Stop	Enter on a breakout above/below current price
Buy Stop Limit / Sell Stop Limit	Combined stop and limit for precise entries

To place a trade: tap any instrument in the Quotes tab, then tap "Trade." Set your volume, stop loss, take profit, and order type. Review and tap "Buy" or "Sell."

To modify an open trade: go to the Trade tab, tap the position you want to modify, and update stop loss or take profit values. To close a position, tap it and select "Close Position."

Using Indicators on Mobile

The MT5 mobile app includes 30 built-in technical indicators across four categories:

• Trend: Moving Average, Bollinger Bands, Ichimoku, Parabolic SAR, ADX, and more
• Oscillators: RSI, MACD, Stochastic, CCI, Williams %R, and others
• Volumes: Volumes, On Balance Volume, Accumulation/Distribution
• Bill Williams: Alligator, Fractals, Awesome Oscillator

To add an indicator, tap the "f" icon on the chart toolbar, then browse or search for your indicator. Configure parameters and tap "Done." You can layer multiple indicators on a single chart, just as on desktop. For a deep dive into which indicators matter most, see our indicators guide.

Note: Custom indicators (downloaded from MQL5 Market or coded in MQL5) are not available on mobile. Only the 30 built-in indicators work on the app.

Push Notifications and Alerts

One of the most powerful mobile features is push notifications from your desktop MT5. Here is how to set them up:

1. In the mobile app, go to Settings > Messages and find your MetaQuotes ID (a unique alphanumeric code)
2. On your desktop MT5, go to Tools > Options > Notifications
3. Enter your MetaQuotes ID and enable push notifications
4. Test with the "Test" button to verify the connection

Once configured, your desktop MT5 can send alerts directly to your phone. This is invaluable when combined with price alerts — set an alert on a key level at your desktop, and your phone will buzz when price reaches it, even if your computer is off (the alert runs on the broker's server for some alert types). Read more about configuring alerts in our alerts and notifications guide.

Pro Tips for Mobile Trading

• Use landscape mode for charts. Rotating your phone gives you significantly more chart real estate and makes technical analysis much easier.
• Set default SL/TP values. In the app's trade settings, configure default stop loss and take profit distances. This saves time and ensures you never place a trade without risk management.
• Avoid scalping on mobile. The slight delay in touch interactions and smaller screen make scalping impractical. Use mobile for swing trades, position monitoring, and emergency actions.
• Use Wi-Fi for trading. Mobile data connections can be unreliable. If you are placing a trade on mobile, make sure you have a stable connection to avoid execution issues.
• Lock your app with biometrics. Both the Android and iOS apps support fingerprint and face authentication. Enable this in Settings to prevent unauthorized access to your trading account.
• Keep the app updated. MetaQuotes regularly updates the mobile app with bug fixes and new features. Enable auto-updates to stay current.

Mobile trading is a complement to desktop trading, not a replacement. Use your phone for monitoring and quick actions, and reserve your desktop for in-depth analysis, strategy development, and backtesting.

Frequently Asked Questions