How to Use the MT5 Mobile App: Full Feature Walkthrough

The MT5 mobile app has been downloaded by over 1 million iOS users according to the MetaTrader App Store listing, and millions more on Android. The most recent significant update — Build 5800 released April 16, 2026 — redesigned the trading dialog to include a built-in Depth of Market, moved order type switching to a side panel, and added one-click trading controls directly accessible without going into settings.

Most traders download MT5 mobile, log in to their account, and use it to monitor open positions while they are away from their desk. That is the minimum effective use case. The traders who use it most effectively treat the mobile app as a complete alternative trading environment — one where they can analyse charts on nine timeframes, add indicators, place full order sets with stop losses and take profits, set price alerts, and read market news, all from their phone.

This walkthrough covers every major feature of the MT5 mobile app on both iOS and Android as of July 2026, from the five main tabs to placing your first trade to setting up push notifications that reach your phone when price hits a key level.

1M+ iOS users on MT5 Mobile — Apple App Store listing, 2026

Build 5800 Latest major MT5 Mobile update — April 2026, redesigned trading dialog

9 TFs Timeframes available on mobile from M1 to MN monthly

Downloading and Setting Up MT5 Mobile

MT5 mobile is free on both iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play). Search for MetaTrader 5 — the developer name is MetaQuotes Software Corp. There are several similar-named apps in the store. Verify the developer is MetaQuotes before installing.

After installation, open the app and select your broker from the server list. Type your broker's name in the search field — for example type your broker name and the available servers appear. If your broker is not listed, contact them directly for their MT5 server address. Enter your login number and password from your broker's confirmation email. The app connects and loads your account balance and open positions if any.

To run a demo account first: select Open Account from the login screen, choose Demo Account, and search for your broker. Demo accounts on mobile use real market data and are identical to live accounts except that no real money is at risk.

"The MT5 mobile app in 2026 is not a stripped-down version of the desktop platform. It is a fully functional trading environment. Most features available on desktop are available on mobile. The only significant limitations are no Strategy Tester and no EA execution — both of which require computational resources that mobile devices cannot consistently provide." — MetaTrader Mobile App Official Product Page — MetaQuotes, 2026

The Five Main Tabs: Your Complete Navigation Guide

MT5 Mobile is organised into five tabs at the bottom of the screen on both iOS and Android. Every core function lives inside one of these five areas.

Q - Quotes

• What it shows: Live bid and ask prices for all instruments your broker offers. Organised as a scrollable list with current price and daily change percentage.
• What to do here: Add instruments by tapping the plus icon. Long-press any instrument to open a chart, place an order, or set an alert. This is your Market Watch on mobile.

C - Charts

• What it shows: Full interactive price charts for any instrument. Pinch to zoom, swipe to scroll. Access all nine timeframes, chart types, and indicators.
• What to do here: Tap the timeframe button to switch from M1 to MN. Tap the indicator icon to add moving averages, RSI, MACD, Bollinger Bands or any of the 30 available indicators.

T - Trade

• What it shows: All open positions and pending orders with live unrealised P&L, entry prices, lot sizes, and stop loss and take profit levels.
• What to do here: Tap any position to modify it. Tap and hold to close. The overall account equity, balance, and margin level are displayed at the top of this tab.

H - History

• What it shows: Complete record of every closed trade — date, instrument, direction, entry price, exit price, profit or loss, swap charged, and commission.
• What to do here: Filter by date range using the calendar icon at the top right. Useful for reviewing the day's trades or calculating weekly performance without leaving the app.

N - News

• What it shows: Real-time financial news feed from multiple sources including market commentary, economic release summaries, and central bank updates.
• What to do here: Read news before placing trades during key economic events. Tap any headline for the full article. No additional subscription or login required.

How to Analyse Charts on MT5 Mobile

The mobile chart is a scaled version of the desktop chart with full functionality. Here is what you can do directly from the chart screen:

• Switch timeframes: Tap the timeframe button in the toolbar — typically shown as M15 or H1 depending on current selection. A horizontal scrolling menu of all nine timeframes appears: M1, M5, M15, M30, H1, H4, D1, W1, MN. Tap your selection.

• Add indicators: Tap the indicator icon (looks like a line graph). Browse through 30 built-in indicators organised by category: Trend, Oscillators, Volumes, and Bill Williams. Tap any indicator to add it with default settings. Tap the indicator name on the chart to adjust its parameters.

• Draw trendlines: Tap the pencil or object icon. A menu of 24 drawing tools appears including horizontal lines, trendlines, Fibonacci retracement, channels, and geometric shapes. Draw directly on the chart by tapping and dragging. Long-press any drawn object to modify or delete it.

• Zoom and scroll: Pinch two fingers on the chart to zoom in or out. Swipe horizontally to scroll back through history or forward to the current price. Double-tap the price axis on the right to auto-fit the chart to the current visible price range.

• View trade levels on chart: All open positions and pending orders appear as horizontal lines on the chart with price labels. Stop loss and take profit levels are visible as colour-coded lines. This gives you immediate visual context for where your risk and target are relative to current price.

How to Place a Trade From the MT5 Mobile App

There are three ways to open a trade from the mobile app. All three lead to the same order screen.

01. From the Quotes tab

Long-press any instrument in the Quotes list. Select Trade from the context menu. The new order screen opens pre-filled with that instrument.

02. From the Chart tab

Tap the trade button (usually a shopping cart icon) in the chart toolbar. The new order screen opens for the instrument currently displayed on the chart.

03. From the Trade tab

Tap the plus icon at the top right of the Trade tab. Select New Order. Choose your instrument from the search field.

In the order screen: select Market Order for immediate execution at the current price. Set your volume (lot size) using the plus and minus buttons or type it directly. Enter your Stop Loss price in the Stop Loss field and your Take Profit price in the Take Profit field. Tap Buy or Sell. The order executes immediately and appears in your Trade tab.

The April 2026 Build 5800 update redesigned this order screen to include a built-in Depth of Market panel within the trading dialog. You can now see Level 2 order book data at the same time you are setting your order parameters — a feature previously only available on the desktop platform.

Setting Up Push Notifications and Price Alerts

Price alerts on MT5 mobile notify you when any instrument reaches a price you define. This is the most practically useful feature for active traders who cannot watch charts continuously. You set the alert in advance, put your phone down, and the app notifies you when price arrives at your target level.

To set a price alert: Go to the Quotes tab. Long-press the instrument you want to monitor. Tap Create Alert from the context menu. Enter the price level that should trigger the notification. Select whether you want the alert when price rises above the level or falls below it. Set a message or leave it as the default. Tap Done.

When price reaches your alert level, MT5 sends a push notification to your phone even if the app is running in the background or your phone is locked. The notification includes the instrument name, the price it reached, and the time.

Desktop push notifications to mobile: This is the most underused feature in MT5 Mobile. Any alert you set on the desktop platform can push a notification to your mobile device. In MT5 desktop, go to Tools then Options then Notifications and enter your MQL5.community login. Desktop alerts set for any indicator, price level, or trade event then push through to your phone. You get the full power of desktop alert configuration delivered to your mobile.

Desktop vs Mobile: What You Can and Cannot Do

• Number of Indicators Desktop: 80+ built-in. Mobile: 30 built-in.

• Timeframes Available Desktop: 21 timeframes. Mobile: 9 timeframes.

• Strategy Tester Desktop: Available. Mobile: Not available.

• Expert Advisor Execution Desktop: Available. Mobile: Not available.

• Multiple Charts Simultaneously Desktop: Unlimited. Mobile: One active at a time.

• Depth of Market (DOM) Desktop: Full Level 2. Mobile: Available in the trade dialog from Build 5800 onward.

• Price Alerts Desktop: Full configuration. Mobile: Available directly from the Quotes tab.

• Trade Placement Desktop: Full order set. Mobile: Full order set including pending orders.

• Account History Desktop: Full history. Mobile: Full history with date filter.

• Financial News Desktop: Available. Mobile: Available.

• One-Click Trading Desktop: Available. Mobile: Available — fully on iPad, partial on iPhone.

The practical workflow most experienced traders use: analysis and strategy planning on desktop, monitoring and order management on mobile. The desktop's 80 indicators, 21 timeframes, and Strategy Tester make it the superior analysis environment. The mobile app's portability makes it the superior monitoring and management tool. Using both together gives you a complete trading setup that works regardless of whether you are at your desk.

RISK DISCLAIMER

CFDs are complex instruments and carry a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. A significant proportion of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. MetaTrader 5 Mobile app features described in this article are based on the official MetaQuotes product pages and Build 5800 update notes as of now. Feature availability may vary between iOS and Android versions and by broker server configuration. Some features described may require specific broker settings to be enabled. This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice or a trading recommendation. Please seek independent financial advice before making any trading decisions.