By William Harris · Last reviewed
How to Install MetaTrader 4 on iPhone & iPad (iOS) — 2026
What you'll need
- • iPhone or iPad (iOS 13 or later)
- • Apple App Store access
- • MT4 account number, password and server name from your broker
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Install MetaTrader 4 from the App Store
Open the App Store and search 'MetaTrader 4'. Confirm the developer is MetaQuotes Software Corp. before tapping Get — lookalike apps appear periodically. The download is around 100 MB and runs on both iPhone and iPad.
If MetaTrader 4 does not appear in your country's App Store, financial apps are sometimes geo-restricted. Use one of the fallbacks in the FAQ below: your broker's own branded iOS app, or the browser-based MetaTrader Web Terminal, both of which connect to the same MT4 account.
Do not install the MetaTrader 5 app if you hold an MT4 account — they are separate platforms and the login will be rejected.
Step 2: Find your broker's server and log in
Open the app and go to Settings then New Account then 'Login to an existing account'. Type your broker's name to search the MetaQuotes server directory and select the exact server from your account email, such as 'Pepperstone-Edge01' or 'FXTM-Demo'.
Enter the numeric Login and master password and tap Sign In. Tick 'Save password' to skip retyping next time. iOS will offer to store it in Keychain.
When connected, the top of the Quotes screen shows a signal-strength icon and the bottom shows the connection ping. 'Invalid account' nearly always means the wrong server was chosen, not a wrong password.
Step 3: Build your Quotes list and open charts
On the Quotes tab tap Edit then the plus icon to add symbols — EURUSD, GBPUSD, and gold (XAUUSD, sometimes shown as GOLD). Tap a symbol then Chart. On iPad the chart uses the larger screen well for multi-timeframe analysis.
Tap the chart to add indicators and objects, and use the timeframe selector across the top. As on Android, the iOS charts are for analysis and manual trading only — there is no Strategy Tester or EA panel.
Turn on Face ID or a passcode for the app in iOS Settings if you store live-account credentials, since anyone with your unlocked phone could otherwise place trades.
Step 4: Place and manage a manual trade
Tap a symbol then the Trade button. Set volume in lots — begin with 0.01 — add a Stop Loss and Take Profit, and choose Market Execution or a pending order. Confirm with the Buy or Sell button.
Size matters: 1.00 lot is 100,000 units, roughly 10 USD per pip on EURUSD. Beginners frequently enter 1.0 when they intend 0.01, a 100x error. Always read the volume back before confirming.
Manage open trades from the Trade tab; tap a position to adjust Stop Loss or Take Profit or to close it. The app does not manage positions automatically when closed or backgrounded.
Step 5: Why robots need a desktop or VPS, not the app
MetaTrader 4 for iOS cannot run Expert Advisors, scripts, or the Strategy Tester — automation simply is not part of any MetaTrader mobile build. iOS suspends backgrounded apps, so a robot that must react to every tick could not run reliably on a phone anyway.
To automate, run the MT4 desktop terminal continuously on a VPS so your robot trades 24 hours a day, five days a week, regardless of your phone. The iOS app then becomes a live window onto that account — every trade the robot opens appears instantly, and push notifications can alert you on each action.
This monitor-on-iOS, automate-on-VPS pattern is how most automated traders run.
Common mistakes to avoid
- ✗ Installing a lookalike MT4 appFix: Verify the developer is MetaQuotes Software Corp. (or your broker) before installing. Fakes exist to phish credentials.
- ✗ Assuming MT4 was permanently removed from the App StoreFix: MetaTrader apps had an availability gap in 2022 but the official builds are listed again. If still missing in your region, use the broker app or Web Terminal.
- ✗ Selecting the wrong serverFix: Match the server name on your broker account email exactly. Wrong server returns 'Invalid account' regardless of correct credentials.
- ✗ Trying to load an .ex4 robot into the appFix: Mobile MT4 has no EA support. Robots run on the desktop terminal or a VPS; use the iOS app to monitor.
- ✗ Not locking the app on a live accountFix: Enable Face ID or a passcode for MetaTrader 4 so a borrowed or lost phone cannot place trades.
Frequently asked questions
Can I run a forex robot (EA) on MetaTrader 4 for iPhone?
Apple's iOS suspends apps that move to the background, which is fundamentally incompatible with an EA that must process every incoming tick. MetaQuotes never built automation into the mobile clients. The practical setup is a VPS running the desktop terminal with your EA; the iOS app connects to the same account so you see the robot's trades in real time. Our VPS guide covers the setup end to end.
Is MetaTrader 4 available on the Apple App Store?
App availability for trading software changes from time to time and varies by country. If you cannot find MetaTrader 4, do not install an unofficial clone. Use, in order of preference: your broker's branded MetaTrader app, the Web Terminal at your broker's site (no install required), or contact your broker for their current recommended iOS access method. All connect to the identical MT4 account.
Does the same app work on iPad?
On iPad the layout expands to use the extra screen real estate, with side-by-side quotes and charting that approaches a light desktop experience. Many traders use an iPad as a monitoring dashboard for a VPS-hosted robot. It remains a monitoring and manual-trading tool only — for automation you still need the desktop terminal.
Does MetaTrader 4 for iOS cost anything?
MetaQuotes earns revenue by licensing the platform to brokers rather than charging traders, so the official iOS app is free for everyone. Any 'premium MT4' app that asks for payment is not official. Free unlimited demo accounts let you rehearse the whole workflow on iOS before risking real money.
Can I get push alerts when my robot trades?
The MetaQuotes ID uniquely identifies your device. Once it is registered in the desktop terminal, the platform sends real-time push notifications to the app, and EAs that call the notification function deliver instant trade alerts. This turns the iOS app into a reliable remote monitor for an automated account.
Automate what you are watching on iOS
The iPhone app is monitor-and-manual only. To let a vetted forex robot trade your account around the clock, run it on a desktop terminal hosted on a VPS and follow along live from your phone. Our VPS guide takes about 30 minutes.
Continue to: How to set up a VPS for MetaTrader →Related how-to guides
William Harris
Founder & Lead Developer of FxRobotEasy
Chicago, USA · Since 2021
- 12+ Years Live Trading
- 10+ Years MQL5 / MQL4
- 3 Live-Verified Expert Advisors
- Founded 2021
“I've been building things with code since middle school. I've been trading since university. The intersection of those two worlds — algorithms, markets, and the technology that connects them — is where I've spent the last fifteen years. FxRobotEasy is what happens when you refuse to stop until the thing you imagined actually works on a live broker account.”