MetaTrader 4 and macOS Catalina [do not update!]

MetaTrader 4 Catalina MacOS - Post-update changes

As regularly as every year, Apple has prepared the same schedule for introducing new products to the market. The premiere of the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro took place in September, and with it a new version of the operating system - OS 13.0 appeared. More novelties are planned for October - including the debut of the new MacOS. But what does this have to do with traders and the Forex market? If you use (or plan to use) Apple computers, be sure to read.

UPDATE: A way to run MetaTrader 4 on OS Catalina

MetaTrader 4 Catalina - problem with starting

If you are using a MacBook or a standard Mac and you are working on the desktop version of MetaTrader 4, then think carefully whether to perform the latest update. MacOS called Catalina does not bring revolution but more evolution. A detailed list of changes can be found on the web, e.g. here.

From the point of view of traders, the most important novelty is the fact that Catalina does not support 32-bit applications, while the earlier version of MacOS Mojave had no problem with that. According to Apple, their time has already passed. Unfortunately, MT4 is only available in the 32-bit version and there is nothing to be deluded that a product that has not been developed for a long time will suddenly be resurrected due to the new version of the Apple system.

The fact is that the vast majority of traders use Windows, and mobile and browser applications have an increasing share in the platform market. MetaTrader 4 is doomed to a slow extinction, which may one day come ...

Be sure to read: MetaTrader 4 vs MetaTrader 5 - Features comparison

Available solutions

Brokers unanimously spoke: Want MT4 on your MacBook? Don't do an update ". The fact is, MT4 never officially came out for Apple computers. They were always solutions prepared indirectly - in the Wine environment or run through other applications. However, this is no longer possible on Catalina. So what can you do? There are few options, and each next one is worse than the previous one.

Here are the simplest of them:

1. Installing Windows on Mac (eg via Parallels) - this may be hard to swallow for some :). It requires the allocation of additional space and will certainly additionally burden our equipment. But it should work all the time.
2. MT4 Web - it's a big compromise. If you need custom metrics, EAs, or more customization solutions, this option is pretty good. The web version is intended only for people with quite limited requirements. An alternative is to switch to another Web platform that is more feature-rich, but it will still only be a substitute for what MT4 Desktop offers.
3. Back to MacOS Mojave - something for something. We're resigning from Apple news, but our MT4 platform will still work.

Be sure to read: Browser Based Forex Platforms - Summary