Go to the official MetaQuotes download page at metatrader5.com/en/download and click the “Download for Mac OS” button. The file is a .dmg disk image, approximately 60–100 MB.

Alternatively, download directly from your broker’s website — most brokers (IC Markets, Pepperstone, OANDA, XM, etc.) offer their own branded MT5 Mac installer with their trading servers already pre-loaded. This saves you the step of searching for your broker’s server manually.

Open your Downloads folder and double-click the MetaTrader5.dmg file to mount it. A Finder window will appear showing the MetaTrader 5 icon and an Applications folder shortcut.

Drag the MetaTrader 5 icon into the Applications folder. Wait a few seconds for the copy to complete. Once done, you can eject the .dmg disk image — the app is now installed on your Mac.

Open your Applications folder (or Launchpad) and double-click MetaTrader 5 to launch it. On first launch, macOS may display a security warning saying the app “cannot be opened because it is from an unidentified developer.”

To fix this: go to System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down until you see the MetaTrader 5 entry, and click “Open Anyway”. A confirmation dialog will appear — click “Open”. This is a one-time step; MT5 will launch normally every time after this.

When MetaTrader 5 opens for the first time, the Account Setup Wizard appears automatically. In the search box, type your broker’s name — for example “Pepperstone”, “ICMarkets”, or “XM” — and wait for the server list to populate.

Select the correct server from the list. Brokers typically have separate servers for Demo and Live accounts, and may have multiple live servers (e.g., ICMarkets-Live01, ICMarkets-Live04). If you’re unsure which one to pick, check your broker’s welcome email — it usually specifies the server name. Click Next to proceed.

On the next screen, select “Connect to an existing account”. Enter your Login number (account ID) and Password as provided by your broker, then click Finish.

MetaTrader 5 will connect to your broker’s server and load your account — charts, open positions, trade history, and account balance will all appear within a few seconds. You’re ready to trade.

Set up your preferred charts, timeframes, and indicators, then save them as a Profile: go to File → Profiles → Save As. MT5 will reload your exact layout every time you open the app — no need to rebuild your workspace from scratch after a restart.

Open Mission Control (swipe up with three fingers on the trackpad) and create a dedicated desktop space for MetaTrader 5. Assign MT5 to that space so it’s always one swipe away — a clean, distraction-free trading environment that stays organised even when you’re multitasking.

For scalping or news trading, connect your Mac to the internet via a USB-C to Ethernet adapter. A wired connection gives you significantly lower and more stable ping to your broker’s server compared to Wi-Fi — which can matter during fast-moving markets.

Your custom indicators, templates, and profiles are stored in the MT5 Data Folder. To find it, go to File → Open Data Folder inside MetaTrader 5. Back this folder up to iCloud or an external drive regularly — if you ever reinstall MT5, you can restore your entire setup in seconds.

MT5 on Mac can send system notifications when price alerts are triggered. Go to Tools → Options → Notifications and enable desktop alerts. You can also set MT5 to play a sound or send a push notification to your MetaTrader mobile app so you never miss a key price level.