According to research in South Africa, Metatrader 4 APK is an acronym for Android Application Package, which is a file format that is only supported by devices operating on Android.
What is a Metatrader 4 APK?
MetaTrader 4 APK is an acronym for Android Application Package, which is a file format that is only supported by devices operating on Android. APKs are used not only for the distribution, but also the installation of mobile applications along with mobile games and middle ware.
Middleware is computer software designed with the purpose of providing services to software applications in such a way that is beyond the capabilities of the operating system.
Middleware is also often known as ‘software glue’. Another purpose of this is to allow software developers to shift the focus towards a specific purpose of their application by implementation of communication and input as well as output.
APKs are also like other software packages such as APPX available for use in Microsoft Windows along with a Debian Package which is used in Debian-based operating systems.
The process of making an APK is done through using Android Studio, furthermore it consists of all the parts being packaged into a single container file.
This container file consists of various small files such as:
- Source codes
- Icons
- Audio
- Videos, and more
All of this is contained in one file with the purpose of further distribution.
Some of the files and directories that are contained in the APK include, but is not limited to the following:
- META-INF which is a directory and includes MANIFEST.MF or the manifest file, certification, and a list of resources
- lib – which contains the compiled code on which the platform depends which includes armeabi, armeabi-v7a, and more
- res – which entails the directory which has resources not compiled under the specified list of resources
- assets – application assets which can then further be retrieved by the AssetManager, and several others.
In addition, every APK file has a special key that cannot be used by any other APK file – each special key is designed to work with only one individual APK at a time.
What is the difference between an APK and an Application?
An App, as it is more widely known, is an application which in turn is software designed for use specifically on mobile platforms. Before smart mobiles emerged, people had to work solely on software provided by Windows, which was a tedious task.
But through technological innovations and the emergence of smart mobiles, came apps, which made things a lot more easier and things could be done in a quarter of the time it took traditionally.
With the added advantage of being able to do it any time, from anywhere in the world, with or without an internet connection. Although, most apps these days require a steady connection to the internet in order to function.
Applications can be downloaded from Google Play and there is a vast, almost endless, amount of applications available for download to cater to all needs that people may have.
Before being able to download an app, the mobile device user will have to sign into Google Play, provide basic information, include their billing information should they want to buy applications.
Once these applications have been downloaded, they are installed directly onto the mobile device and they are available for use immediately, without having to adjust settings on the mobile device to allow for their operation.
What is an APK?
APKs and Apps may have similar functionalities, but their concepts differ vastly. Apps are smaller versions of software which can either be installed on devices that run Android or on Windows and iOS devices. APKs can only be utilized by devices that run on Android.
Where Apps are downloaded from Google Play and installed directly onto the device, APKs can be downloaded from a variety of websites and are installed after being downloaded.
To install an APK, the mobile user will have to download it from a reliable source without having to sign in or even use Google Play’s services as it is sourced from outside the store.
As soon as an APK has been downloaded, there is a setting that will have to be manually changed to allow for the installation of the APK and provision for this is made under the phone’s general settings.
This setting is a security feature specifically designed to prevent the installation of files that may pose threats; thus, it is always important to download APKs from a reliable source to avoid exposure to viruses and other malware that may be part of the APK.
MetaTrader 4 APK
Considering the technologically advanced world that we live in, there are however Android devices that do not have access to Google Play, or users that may not be able to sign into this service for a variety of reasons.
For this reason, the provision of APKs allows for traders to still gain access to MetaTrader 4 to provide them with the opportunity to be able to trade on their mobile devices at any time, from anywhere in the world.
It is important to note that there is not an APK available to download on Android Devices provided on the MetaTrader 4 official site, although provision is made for the download of MetaTrader 5 for devices that have Android 4.0 and higher.
Safe to say, MetaTrader 4 will have to be downloaded from another source on the internet in an APK format for traders who can either not sign into Google Play, or who not have access to it.
There is a variety of websites that offer the free download of a multitude of APK files for known applications, such as MetaTrader 4, but it is imperative to ensure that these are trusted sites.
Since APKs have files which installs apps to the mobile device, they may pose a substantial security threat as there are developers who have malicious intentions and are able to modify the APK before it is installed.
Through this modification, the APK can be used as a Trojan horse which allows for the installation and running of malware.
Where can I safely download the MetaTrader 4 APK?
The website MUO, or Make Use Of, has a list of five sites which have been declared safe for the download of APK Downloads.
The five sites listed are:
- APKMirror
- APKPure
- APK Store
- Aptoide, and
- Yalp Store
Of all these sites that are listed, only APK Store and Aptoide have the MetaTrader 4 APK free for download. Both MT4 APKs on these sites are verified downloads, and thus safe to download to a mobile device.
Benefits and Features of MetaTrader 4 APK on an Android device
MetaTrader 4 is the most well-known, trusted and used trading platform in the trading industry and using it on a mobile device will not take away from the trading experience experienced on any other device, whether it is a desktop or laptop.
MT4, as it is more commonly known, is the best for trading any financial instrument due to its trading and analytical technologies in addition to other services. It has a package that contains everything needed for trading.
The MT4 APK will provide users the opportunity to trade on financial markets on an Android powered smartphone as well as tablet.
With the MT4 APK installed and in use on the Android device, the user will be able to:
- Register either a MT4 demo or a live account with their chosen broker on the trading platform (if the broker supports the MT4 trading platform)
- View Live Forex Quotes
- Display Charts
- Add Indicators
- Access the trading history
- Read market news
- Receive messages from the broker
- Customize the platform, and more
As soon as MT4 APK is installed on the Android device and it is opened, the user can either open a demo account and choose a broker, or they can log into an existing account to connect to a broker of their choosing.
The function of viewing the Live Forex Quotes allows the user to preview the current market situation. This saves the user a lot of time and effort as they will not have to google the current rate for the positions that the user might currently have open.
This feature is especially useful for traders who would like to stay informed regarding Forex rates while on the move.
The charts that MT4 provides for Android devices is some of the most powerful when compared to all other apps used for Forex trading. The charts provided by MT4 on the APK is highly interactive and provides the following chart types:
- Bar Charts
- Candlestick Charts, and
- Line Charts
In addition, traders can also add indicators to charts along with changing timeframes and access all features that are both mobile-friendly and useful.
With the MT4 APK, traders have access to nine different time charts, and switching between them can be seamlessly done.
With the MT4 APK, adding indicators is easy and allows the trader to merely tap on the icon on a chart that they have open and a full list of indicators that are available will be presented. These indicators are furthermore subdivided into categories.
Setting up, planning, and implementing a trading strategy with the MT4 APK can be done accurately and provision is made for the following:
- 30 technical indicators deemed the most essential for traders
- 24 analytical objects
- Lines, channels, geometric shapes
- Gann, Fibonacci, and Elliot tools and more
All of these can either be applied to the chart window and to one another with the added benefit of being able to change the colour schemes.
Traders using the MT4 APK also could open to 10 different windows which run simultaneously, providing a thorough analysis along with maximum advantage.
With the MT4 APK, there is no need for traders to exit or open their web browser to access news releases, there is a push notification linked to the APK which will notify the trader as news happens.
With the MT4 APK, staying in touch with the broker that the trader has chosen is effortless and made easy.
For traders to be able to implement a strategy, they will need MT4 APK paired not only with a full set of orders but also a full set of trading functions. Traders will use instant execution orders continuously when trading Forex.
Traders are also relieved from having to constantly manage their trading by using pending orders and with the MT4 APK, trading requests will still be executed regardless of whether the program is open or closed.
The MT4 APK also allows traders to modify their open positions by making use of, and changing, Stop Loss and Take Profit order levels which allows them to set their profit while minimizing their losses.
The MT4 APK has a Trade Window which provides traders with all the necessary information pertaining to:
- Amount of orders
- Amount of open positions
- Open Prices
- Volumes
- Account Status
Through the APK, traders can also access their history in detail along with previously performed trades by selecting the History Window.
Conclusion
While a lot of traders will prefer trading from either a desktop or a laptop due to being able to see everything on a larger scale, mobile trading has gained in popularity as people, and especially traders have busy lifestyles.
Mobile trading has become increasingly popular as it allows traders to trade, view their accounts, keep an eye on prices and news relating to various market, from the palm of their hands and the MT4 APK caters especially for traders on the go.
Although the web-based and desktop-based versions of MT4 has an array additional features, the MT4 APK does not lack the basic, but essential features that traders need to trade, execute orders, and keep up to date with their trading.
The MT4 APK has a substantial amount and variety of features which are essential in trading not only Forex, but other instruments as well and the innovation towards technological development is a constant process that drives mobile trading forward in a busy world.
The most important thing regarding the MT4 APK is ensuring that it is downloaded from a reliable source, from there installation and use is very straight forward and it caters for novice as well as experienced traders, according to research in South Africa.
