The MT4 investor password is a second, read-only password on every MetaTrader 4 account. It can view balance, history, and open positions but cannot place, close, or modify a single trade. It is the exact counterpart of the MT5 version: a deliberate read-only delegation, meant for sharing with people or tools that need to see your account without being able to act on it.
Plenty of traders are still on MT4, so this guide covers the MT4 specifics. If you are on MetaTrader 5, the concept is identical and the dedicated MT5 investor password explainer covers that platform.
Master password vs investor password on MT4
Every MT4 account carries two passwords, both set by you or your broker.
| Capability | Master password | Investor password |
|---|---|---|
| View balance and trade history | Yes | Yes |
| View open positions | Yes | Yes |
| Place new trades | Yes | No |
| Close or modify trades | Yes | No |
| Run an Expert Advisor that executes orders | Yes | No |
| Change account settings | Yes | No |
| Withdraw funds (where permitted) | Yes | No |
When you log in to MT4 with the investor password, the trading buttons are disabled and the platform refuses any order. This is enforced at the server, so it is not something an app or script can override.
How to find your MT4 investor password
MetaTrader 4 does not display an existing investor password in plain text. There are two realistic ways to get it.
- From your broker.The original investor password is often in the first "Registration" message in the MT4 Mailbox (in the Terminal window), in your broker's welcome email, or in your client portal account details.
- By setting a new one. If you do not have it, you create a fresh investor password using the steps below. This does not affect your master login or your trading.
How to create or change it on MT4 desktop
- Open MetaTrader 4 and log in with your master password.
- From the menu bar, click Tools, then Options.
- Go to the Server tab and click Change.
- Enter your master password in the Current password field.
- Tick Change read-only password (this is the investor password).
- Type the new investor password in New password and again in Confirm.
- Click OK.
The password must be at least five characters and contain at least two of three types: uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and numbers. Make it different from your master password.
Why the investor password matters for third-party tools
Journals, analytics dashboards, signal-verification sites like Myfxbook, and discipline tools all need to read your account but never need to trade it. The investor password gives them exactly that and nothing more. It means a breach of the tool can expose history but not move money, it signals that the tool is constrained by design, and it is reversible: rotate the password and access ends.
The deeper safety reasoning, including the worst-case breach scenario and how to vet a tool, is in is it safe to share your investor password.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MT4 investor password?
The MT4 investor password is a second, read-only password on every MetaTrader 4 account. It lets someone log in and view the balance, history, and open positions, but it cannot place, close, or modify trades. The read-only limit is enforced by the MetaTrader server, not by any app.
How is it different from the master password?
The master password gives full access: place and close trades, change settings, and request withdrawals where the broker permits. The investor password is view-only and can do none of those. Both work on the same MT4 account but grant different permission levels.
How do I find or create my MT4 investor password?
On the MT4 desktop terminal, go to Tools, then Options, then the Server tab, and click Change. Enter your master password, select the read-only password option, and set a new investor password. MetaTrader does not show an existing one in plain text, so if you do not have it, you create a new one here. Brokers sometimes include the original in the account Registration email.
Is the MT4 investor password safe to share?
Yes, much safer than the master password, because it is read-only. A shared or even leaked investor password can expose trade history but cannot place a trade or withdraw funds. You can rotate it any time to revoke access.
Does EmotionLock support MT4?
EmotionLock connects to MetaTrader 5 accounts. The investor password concept is identical on MT4 and MT5, so this guide explains the MT4 side, but EmotionLock itself reads MT5 accounts using the MT5 investor password.
The summary
The MT4 investor password is the read-only MetaTrader 4 credential: it shows your account but cannot act on it. Manage it from Tools, Options, Server, Change on the desktop terminal, share it instead of the master with any tool that only needs to read, and rotate it to revoke access. The behaviour is identical on MetaTrader 5, which is the platform EmotionLock connects to.