Why alerts beat staring
A price alert tells the platform to notify you — with a sound, a pop-up, or a push notification — when an instrument reaches a price you set. It frees you from watching the chart all day, which is both exhausting and a reliable route to impulsive, boredom-driven trades.
Alerts let you decide your levels calmly in advance and then step away, returning only when the market actually does something you care about.
The numbered steps on desktop
Step 1: Open the Toolbox (Ctrl+T) and click the "Alerts" tab at the bottom of the screen.
Step 2: Right-click in the Alerts area and choose "Create".
Step 3: Set the Symbol, choose the condition (for example "Bid >" a certain price, or "Ask <"), and type the price level you want to be alerted at.
Step 4: Pick the action — a sound, or a "Notification" to push to the MetaTrader mobile app if you have linked it via your MetaQuotes ID.
Step 5: Click OK. The alert waits quietly and fires once the price meets your condition.
Getting alerts on your phone
To receive push notifications on mobile, install the MetaTrader app, find your MetaQuotes ID in the app settings, and enter it under Tools → Options → Notifications on the desktop platform. Then the "Notification" alert action reaches your phone even when the desktop is closed but running.
Test one alert to confirm it actually arrives before you rely on it for anything important.
An honest note
An alert is a reminder, not a trade. When one fires, resist the urge to jump in automatically — the alert only means the price reached your level, not that your full plan is met. Alerts help you wait patiently; they do not decide anything for you.