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Introduction to Charts

Lesson 1 of 13
Duration 5:04
Level Beginner
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When users log in to IBKR Desktop, by default they will see the Positions tab within the Portfolio.

By selecting an instrument, a basic thumbnail chart displays in the panel to the right.

However, users may launch a full-size chart area by either double-clicking on a symbol or by clicking the Quote icon in the left panel. 

The Quote Panel is comprised of two panels. By default, the Quote panel opens with the Charts tab selected. Users may also access Option Chains within the Quote panel by clicking on the tab above.

To change the symbol in your chart, select an asset from the Financial Instrument section of the Quote panel. 

Changing Time Display

The user can change the time period displayed from the lower left of the chart by clicking on any of the desired time period buttons.

Using the icons along the top of the chart, the user may change the periodicity of the chart display from intraday to daily, weekly etc. For example, let’s choose a symbol and set the display to 1y below the chart. Now, let’s use the icon to the upper left to switch from Day to Week. 

Changing Chart Type

To the right, user may choose from the icon an array of different chart types, from candles, lines, high-low, Heikin Ashi and Point & Figure charts.

Adding Chart Indicators

Click the indicators icon to display a list of available studies to add to the display. The user may scroll down the list or enter a search term. In this case user is looking for ‘moving average’ and starts to type in the input field. Click the desired indicator to add immediately to the chart. By hovering above the study data beneath the ticker symbol, floating icons appear to the right of the added study and user may hide, see settings or delete the study. In this case user selects settings and can adjust the study inputs to change the settings and click ‘ok’. 

Once the user has added a series of indicators to a chart, it may be saved as an indicator template by tapping the four-squares icon and entering a name followed by ‘save’. Saved templates may be accessed by clicking this icon later. 

They can also save applied indicators as a template, show or hide Outside Regular Trading Hours data, and save the current chart as a snapshot.

Accessing Drawing Tools

Drawing tools are concealed behind a blue arrow along the lower left edge of the chart. Click that to expand the drawing tools panel. Here the user may click an icon to use a drawing tool. When active, the tool icon is blue. Here, at the top of the icon set, the user can click on or off the chart crosshairs. Use the tools to draw Fibonacci Retracement, Trend Lines and more. Hold your mouse over an icon to see the extended tool menu when applicable. To remove drawings and indicators from the display, the user would right click on a trend or Fibonacci line and select ‘remove’.

You can increase the size of your chart by hiding the left and right-side panels. Note the Show/Hide panel icons to the upper right and left of the chart. Simply click one or both of these Show/Hide Panel icons to maximize the display.

Note that if the user hides the left panel, which includes the Financial Instruments, they will not be able to change the symbol in the chart. The left side panel must be reopened to select a symbol.

Increasing the Display to Multi-Chart Mode

The user may view multiple charts using multi-chart mode. The multi-chart icon is labelled to the upper right of the display. Click the multi-chart icon to reveal layout choices for up to eight styles. 

The user may display multiple charts that use the same symbol in each panel by activating Sync in Layout – Symbol. You can also sync up the charts’ interval, crosshair, and time period.

Alternatively, show multiple charts with different symbols by disabling Sync in Layout.

Load different symbols in your charts by selecting a chart and then clicking an asset in the Financial Instrument section. 

Chart Customization

Finally, click the gear icon on the top right above the chart for customization options, such as changing colors, labels, background, gridlines and more.   

Resources

IBKR Desktop User Guide

Join The Conversation

If you have a general question, it may already be covered in our FAQs. If you have an account-specific question or concern, please reach out to Client Services.

60 thoughts on “Introduction to Charts”

  • weijun lin

    The lesson is good

    • Interactive Brokers

      Thanks for tuning in!

  • rlazar@aegiscap.com

    Are ratio charts available and if so are there alerts on them ?

    • Interactive Brokers

      Hello, thank you for reaching out. Ratio charts are available in TWS Mosaic. You can find them by right clicking the chart and clicking Virtual Security. Please view this FAQ with instructions to set up alerts with Charts in Trader Workstation: https://www.ibkr.com/faq?id=27279175

      We hope this helps!

  • Aaron LI

    excellent to get familiar with the system.

    • Interactive Brokers

      Thanks for engaging!

  • nikola zagorac

    Way simpler than TWS to understand and operate.

    • Interactive Brokers

      We appreciate your feedback.

  • Vacheh.A

    Thank you. I learnt a lot in my first lesson.

    • Interactive Brokers

      We hope you continue to enjoy Traders’ Academy!

  • Kevin

    Hi,
    Is there an option to change the chart timezone to the exchange timezone? It is currently set to the local timezone (Singapore) which is UTC+8. However, if I am trading US stocks, I need to convert the time to US time zone.
    Thanks

    • Interactive Brokers

      Hello Kevin, thank you for your question. It is possible to change your TWS time zone the moment you log in to TWS: click on More options at the bottom left corner of the TWS login screen, then click on the Time Zone button to choose your TWS time zone and click OK. Then enter your Username and Password and click on Login. Please reach back out with any more questions. We are here to help!

  • Kevin

    Hi,
    Thanks for the reply. Is it the same for IBKR Desktop app?
    Thanks

    • Interactive Brokers

      Hello again. Yes, you can change the Time Zone on IBKR Desktop when you log in. Click the “More Options” button in the lower right-hand corner, and “Time Zone” will pop up on the right-hand side of the screen. We hope this helps!

  • Jignesh Bhatt

    How do I change the candles to match the exchange time? i.e. for New York Time (UTC-5) . I am living outside of US.

    • Interactive Brokers

      Hello Jignesh, thank you for reaching out. To change the time zone for IBKR Desktop, please click “More Options” in the login window. If that does not work, please try to uninstall then reinstall IBKR Desktop. We hope this achieves the result you’re looking for!

  • Jignesh Bhatt

    In IBKR Desktop App, I tried changing the Timezone to suit the exchange time. However, in IBKR Ao\pp, it does not change the timezone when chart appear on the screen

  • Schneider

    very good

  • Robert Phillips

    if i wish to leave drawings (colored lines as examples on the chart how do i save them so they remain with the correct color etc.? I’ve tried to select a line and save as template XYZ but that doesn’t work, How do i save that particular say ES symbol to always have the drawings and even transfer to the next contract at rollover?

  • Robert Phillips

    this
    is in reference to the new desktop version

  • Chris

    Is there a way to either “pop out” the charts, or to relocate them on my computer screens, and save that as the default? I would prefer to view multiple charts at the same time as viewing my entire watchlist with all of its columns?

  • Kevin

    Hi,
    Would like to ask on the IBRK Desktop app, is there any way to set the time zone to “Exchange”. For example, I am currently in Singapore and if I trade D05 the time zone should show (UTC + 8) and if I trade AAPL the time zone should switch to (UTC – 5).

    Currently the chart seems to be only able to show one time zone (ie Singapore UTC + 8). If I were to trade different markets, I would need to convert the time manually.

    Thanks

    • Interactive Brokers

      Hello Kevin, thank you for reaching out. It is possible to change your time zone on IBKR Desktop from the moment you log in. In the bottom right corner, click More Options> Time Zone. This will allow you to pick any time zone you desire. In the future, please post in the Feature Poll in Client Portal where other IBKR users can comment and vote:
      https://portal.interactivebrokers.com/portal/#/suggestions

      We appreciate your feedback!

  • Anonymous

    Muy buena lección

    • Interactive Brokers

      Thanks for engaging!

  • Alfonso

    Very good explanations

    • Interactive Brokers

      Thanks for engaging!

  • Ray

    I am using multi monitors, how do I detach the chart to move it into other monitor. ?

    • Interactive Brokers

      Hello Ray, thank you for reaching out. In Classic TWS, click the + symbol at the bottom of the screen. Then enter the desired tickers you would like to create a chart for in a watchlist. Then right click each ticker and click “New Chart”. You should be able to drag the two charts to different monitors.

      We hope this helps!

  • Manuel

    Is there a way to change the candles from 30 seconds to 10 seconds? Thanks

    • Interactive Brokers

      We appreciate your question, Manuel. At the top left of the chart is the current time period displayed in the chart, while along the bottom left of the chart is the selected timeframe. You can click on one-month or three-month to change the time frame. And adjust the candle period by clicking on the current value in the upper left to reveal a dropdown containing additional time periods. Note: You may also enable/disable real-time hours by clicking this icon in the top row.

      We hope this helps!

  • Manuel

    unfortunately 30 seconds seems to be the lowest possible, i also tried searching for intervall on the magnifying glass at the right and the lowest i could type in was 30 seconds.

  • Nick A Tarjoman

    The time periods on my platform screen only show “1d 1m 3m 6m” . There is no 1y and 5y period consistent with the one shown on the Introduction to Charts tutorial. Moreover, when I access the time drop down tab, the sections pertaining to days is muted and therefore inoperable. How may I activate the days section along with adding the 1Y and 5Y periods on the lower left of the screen? Thank you.

    • Interactive Brokers

      Hello, we appreciate your question. The time frame you currently see on the platform is on Advanced Charts in TWS. The 1y and 5y period consistent with the one shown on the Introduction to Charts tutorial is found in IBKR Desktop. IBKR Desktop combines the best of both proven and new technologies. We’ve included many of the most popular tools from our flagship TWS along with a growing suite of original new features like Option Lattice and Screeners with MultiSort. This perfect synthesis of the known and the novel combined with our superior order execution results in a sleek, speedy platform that’s easy to navigate but still packs a punch in the features department. You can download the software here:
      https://spr.ly/IBKR_PlatformsCampus

      To see real time quotes in a chart, you need to subscribe to real time market data from Client Portal.

      https://spr.ly/IBKRMarketDataCampus

      Please view this FAQ for more information: https://www.ibkr.com/faq?id=40347241

      We hope this helps!

  • Hari

    Hi,
    In my TWS platform, I have multiple charts from advance charting system, but they seem to be not sync with each other. drawings trendline in one chart not appears in the others. How to fix this issue of sync multiple charts in advance charting.

    • Interactive Brokers

      Hello, thank you for reaching out. At this time, this feature is not available. I have passed your feedback to the appropriate team. Going forward, if you have specific questions or feedback related to Advanced Charts, please email tradingviewsupport@interactivebrokers.com.

  • Estella Tran

    When I click on Buy or Sell on ETHEREUM the side panel pop-up but I can’t do anything. Why? Is there a group training session? This is free trial or demo account.

    • Interactive Brokers

      Hello, thank you for reaching out and we apologize for the delayed response. To best answer your question, can you please provide us with more details?

  • Anonymous

    by default, i don’t see any thing that looks like a chart or the nav tools or even a chart at the side bar let alone a full view chart. I downloaded the latest desktop recently. What did I miss?

    • Interactive Brokers

      Hello, thank you for reaching out. You can view a full view chart in IBKR Desktop on the “Quote” screen. This is the bar chart icon with the arrow pointing right above it. If you have specific suggestions and feedback, please submit it directly in IBKR Desktop (speech bubble with thumbs up icon).
      We hope that this helps.

  • Mesbah Talukder

    How can I set up an alert on IBKR desktop? I do not find the option.

    • Interactive Brokers

      Thank you for asking, Mesbah. Aside from limited message popups in the platform, alerts are not yet available on IBKR Desktop. You can keep up with the latest platform releases here: https://ibkrguides.com/releasenotes/ntws-desktop.htm

    • Interactive Brokers

      Hello, thank you for reaching out. At this time, it is not possible to set up an alert on IBKR Desktop. In the future, please submit specific suggestions and feedback directly in IBKR Desktop (speech bubble with thumbs-up icon). We hope this helps!

  • Anonymous

    IBKR deskstop does not open after the recent update (07.11.2024 at 10.45 am). Please look into this.

    • Interactive Brokers

      Hello, thank you for reaching out. This issue could not be replicated. Please note that currently IBKR Desktop is only supported for Windows (64-bit), macOS with Intel Processor and macOS with Apple Silicon e.g. M1. Please contact Client Services (Technical Assistance) if the issue persists, so we can take a closer look: http://spr.ly/IBKR_ClientServicesCampus

  • Larry Shinabargar

    How do I do a factory reset on my charts? I can not get my candles to work. Thanks

  • Anonymous

    IBKR DESKTOP chart not working today after update! Please kindly fix this and don’t delete the comment.

  • Anonymous

    Using the IBKR Desktop app on apple silicon. The charts don’t seem to update live aka “draw”. only when i change to another stock then go back it will update. AKA its like a static snapshot. Not sure why?

    • Interactive Brokers

      Hello, thank you for reaching out. We could not replicate this issue. For a time sensitive trading issue, please contact our Client Services team, which can be reached by phone and live chat.

      You can find our available phone support here: http://spr.ly/IBKR_ClientServicesCampus

  • Anonymous

    Thank you for the quality of the content and for starting with the basics for complete beginners.

    • Interactive Brokers

      We hope you continue to enjoy Traders’ Academy!

  • Anonymous

    We hope you continue to enjoy Traders’ Academy!

  • Hossein Madadi

    Can we open an investment acct for the new born addition to our family , and what information are you requiring and can it be custodial joint. Pls help us, we need to do this ASAP.
    Thx

    • Interactive Brokers

      Hello, thank you for reaching out. Yes, you can set up a custodial account for a child. However, accounts can only be managed by a single user. Please view this FAQ for instructions: https://www.ibkr.com/faq?id=40342299

      If you are interested in opening an account, please use this link: http://spr.ly/OpenAccountfromIBKRCampus

      Please reach back out with any additional questions. We are here to help!

  • Anonymous

    Could we have 10sec charts on IBKR Desktop?

    • Interactive Brokers

      Hello, thank you for asking. At this time, it is not possible to create a 10s chart on IBKR Desktop. Please send this feedback within the IBKR Desktop platform itself, so it can reach the most appropriate team (speech bubble with thumbs up icon).

      However, this is possible in TWS. Please view this FAQ for instructions to change the time period and chart interval for Advanced Charts in TWS: https://www.ibkr.com/faq?id=370330516

      We hope this helps!

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Disclosure: Interactive Brokers

The analysis in this material is provided for information only and is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security. To the extent that this material discusses general market activity, industry or sector trends or other broad-based economic or political conditions, it should not be construed as research or investment advice. To the extent that it includes references to specific securities, commodities, currencies, or other instruments, those references do not constitute a recommendation by IBKR to buy, sell or hold such investments. This material does not and is not intended to take into account the particular financial conditions, investment objectives or requirements of individual customers. Before acting on this material, you should consider whether it is suitable for your particular circumstances and, as necessary, seek professional advice.

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Interactive Brokers, its affiliates, or its employees.

Disclosure: Displaying Symbols on Video

Any stock, options or futures symbols displayed are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to portray recommendations.

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