The MT4 mobile app does two essential things: lets you check open positions when you’re away from your desk, and pushes alerts from your custom indicators and EAs straight to your phone — even when MT4 desktop is closed.

This guide covers the full setup on iPhone and Android: installing the app, logging in to your broker, enabling push notifications, and placing your first mobile trade. About 8 minutes start to finish.

Prerequisites

Table of Contents

You need:

An iPhone (iOS 12+) or Android phone (Android 7+)
An existing MT4 broker account (live or demo) — see How to Install MetaTrader 4 Platform or How to Open MT4 Demo Account
200 MB free storage on your phone
Wi-Fi or mobile data connection

How to Set Up MT4 on Mobile: 6-Step Guide

Step 1 — Install the App

On iPhone / iPad:

Open the App Store.
Search for “MetaTrader 4” (the official app is by MetaQuotes Software Corp).
Tap Get and authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your Apple ID password.

On Android:

Open the Google Play Store.
Search for “MetaTrader 4“.
Tap Install.

The app downloads in 30-60 seconds. Tap Open when ready.

Tip: be careful of imitation apps. The official app is from MetaQuotes Software Corp. Anything else (third-party “MT4 mobile” apps) is unrelated and potentially unsafe.

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Step 2 — Choose Your Broker Server

On first launch, the app asks you to log in to an account. Tap Login to existing account (or Login with Account Number depending on app version).

A search bar appears. Type your broker’s name. The app shows matching servers — for example, searching “IC Markets” returns:
– IC Markets-Live01
– IC Markets-Live02
– IC Markets-Demo01

Pick the server matching your account. If you don’t know your server name, check the welcome email from your broker — it lists the exact server.

If your broker doesn’t appear, tap Search Brokers Companies at the top to refresh the broker list.

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Step 3 — Log In With Account Credentials

After selecting the server, enter:

Login — your account number (6-8 digits from your broker email)
Password — trading (main) password
Toggle Save Password ON if you want auto-login on future app launches

Tap Sign In. Within seconds you’ll see:

Quotes panel with bid/ask prices ticking
A green status indicator at the top (connected to broker server)
Your account number visible in the Settings tab

If login fails, the most common causes are wrong server selection, typos in the account number, or a firewall blocking the broker’s mobile API.

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Step 4 — Tour the Mobile Interface

The bottom navigation bar has four tabs:

Tab	What it shows
Quotes	Watchlist of symbols with live bid/ask, optional advanced view with spread + high/low/time
Charts	Open chart for any symbol — multiple timeframes, drawing tools, indicators
Trade	Open positions, pending orders, account balance/equity/margin
Settings	App preferences, MetaQuotes ID for push notifications, journal

Tap any symbol in the Quotes tab to see options: New Order, Chart, Properties.

Step 5 — Enable Push Notifications

This is the most important step for many traders. With push notifications enabled, your custom indicator and EA alerts (set up in MT4 desktop) deliver to your phone even when MT4 desktop is closed.

On the mobile app:

Open Settings (bottom-right tab).
Scroll down to find Messages (or Chat and Messages depending on version).
You’ll see a MetaQuotes ID — a unique string like A0123456.CDE12345. Copy it.

On MT4 desktop:

Open Tools > Options > Notifications.
Tick Enable Push Notifications.
Paste the MetaQuotes ID from your phone.
Click Test — your phone should buzz and show a test notification within 5 seconds.
Click OK.

Now any indicator or EA on MT4 desktop that calls SendNotification() will push the alert to your phone immediately. See How to Set Up Moving Average Crossover Alerts for an example workflow.

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Step 6 — Place a Test Trade From Mobile

To place a trade:

Open Quotes tab → tap a symbol (e.g. EURUSD) → New Order.
Set Volume (lot size) — start with 0.01 for testing.
Set Stop Loss and Take Profit if desired (recommended).
For instant execution, choose Market Execution in the order type dropdown.
Tap Sell by Market or Buy by Market depending on direction.

The order executes within seconds. Switch to the Trade tab to confirm the position appears.

To close: long-press the position → Close Order → confirm.

For mobile-specific tips on order management, see How to Place a Trade on MT4 — most desktop concepts apply identically.

Pro Tips for Mobile MT4

Don’t day-trade primarily from mobile. The screen is too small for proper chart analysis. Use mobile for monitoring, alerts, and emergency exits — keep entries on desktop.
Lock the app with biometric auth (Settings > Security on Android; Face ID prompt on iOS) so a lost phone doesn’t compromise your trading account.
Disable auto-rotation during active trades — accidental orientation changes can shift your view at the worst moment.
Mobile + VPS combo is gold: run your EAs on a VPS, monitor from mobile. Your trading continues even when both your phone and laptop are off.
Charts on mobile use less indicator real estate. Strip your mobile chart template down to 1-2 indicators; full desktop layouts get unreadable on a 6″ screen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is MT4 mobile free?

Yes. The official MT4 app is free on both iOS and Android. There are no in-app purchases, subscriptions, or ads.

Can I run a custom indicator on MT4 mobile?

No. Both MT4 mobile and MT5 mobile do not support custom indicators or EAs. They only run built-in indicators (MA, MACD, RSI, etc.). For custom indicator alerts, run the indicator on MT4 desktop and forward alerts to mobile via push notifications.

Why don’t I receive push notifications?

Most common causes: (1) MetaQuotes ID was copied incorrectly, (2) MT4 desktop was closed when the alert fired, (3) the indicator/EA isn’t actually calling SendNotification(), (4) phone notifications are silenced. Re-test from MT4 Tools > Options > Notifications > Test.

Can I have the same MT4 account on both desktop and mobile?

Yes. The same broker account works simultaneously on desktop, mobile, and MT4 WebTrader. There are no device limits.

Does MT4 mobile show open positions opened on desktop?

Yes. Both desktop and mobile sync to the same broker server, so positions opened on desktop appear instantly on mobile and vice versa.

Can I close trades on mobile that were opened on desktop?

Yes. Any position on the account can be modified or closed from any logged-in device. Long-press the position → Close Order on mobile.

Is MT4 WebTrader an alternative to mobile?

Yes — MT4 WebTrader is browser-based and works on any device, including phones via mobile browser. The dedicated mobile app is faster and supports push notifications, but WebTrader is useful when you can’t install apps (work computer, library, etc.).

MT4 Mobile App Setup Guide (iPhone & Android, Step-by-Step)