Why you might want to
Sometimes you want out of everything quickly — before major news, at the end of your trading session, or because you have hit your daily loss limit and need to stop. Closing positions one by one is slow and stressful in those moments, so it helps to know the shortcuts.
Closing everything is a legitimate risk control, but doing it in a panic is not. Know the buttons in advance so that when you decide to flatten, you can do it calmly and correctly.
The numbered steps in MetaTrader 5
Step 1: Open the Toolbox (Ctrl+T) and go to the "Trade" tab, where every open position is listed.
Step 2: Right-click anywhere in the list of open positions.
Step 3: Choose the bulk option from the menu — MT5 offers items such as "Close all positions", and can also close all profitable, all losing, or all in one direction.
Step 4: Confirm. The platform closes each position at the current market price, one after another, and the Trade tab empties.
On MT4 and mobile
MT4 does not have a native "close all" button in the standard build; you close positions individually, or you use the one-click trading panel or a small helper tool if your broker provides one. On both MT4 and MT5 mobile apps, you generally close positions one at a time by tapping each and choosing close.
If you rely on being able to flatten fast, test exactly how your platform and broker handle it on a demo account first, so you are not learning the process under pressure.
An honest risk note
Closing everything at market means you take whatever price is available right now, which in fast conditions can be poor. That is usually an acceptable price to pay for certainty, but be aware you are choosing speed over price. Bulk-closing does not undo losses already incurred; it simply stops them growing.