Lenovo wrote: Tue Jul 29, 2025 6:15 pm
good morning, but are the M2, M4, M6 times etc. also available on MT4?
From GROK:
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) offers 21 time frames for chart analysis, ranging from 1-minute (M1) to monthly (MN1), including unique intervals like M2, M3, M4, M6, M10, M12, H2, H3, H6, H8, and H12. In contrast, MetaTrader 4 (MT4) provides only 9 standard time frames: M1, M5, M15, M30, H1, H4, D1, W1, and MN1. This means MT4 lacks the additional time frames available in MT5, such as M2, M3, M4, M6, M10, M12, H2, H3, H6, H8, and H12.
However, you can add non-standard time frames to MT4 using custom tools or scripts. One common method is to use the **Period Converter** script, which is built into MT4, or third-party indicators like the **FX Blue Custom Timeframe Generator**. Here's how you can achieve this:
1. **Using the Period Converter Script**:
- Open MT4 and navigate to the "Navigator" window (Ctrl+N).
- Locate the "Scripts" folder, find the "Period Converter" script, and drag it onto a chart (e.g., a 1-minute chart for creating an M2 chart).
- In the script’s input settings, set the "extPeriodMultiplier" to the desired multiplier. For example, set it to 2 on an M1 chart to create an M2 chart, or 12 on an H1 chart for an H12 chart.
- After applying the script, go to **File > Open Offline**, select the custom time frame chart (e.g., "AUDUSD, H12"), and open it. This creates an offline chart that updates based on the base chart’s data.
- Note: The base chart (e.g., M1 for M2) must remain open for the custom chart to update.
2. **Using FX Blue Custom Timeframe Generator**:
- Download the FX Blue Custom Timeframe Generator from the FX Blue website and install it into MT4’s "Expert Advisors" folder.
- Open a chart (e.g., M1 for creating an M2 chart), switch to the M1 time frame, and drag the generator onto the chart.
- In the settings, set "BarPeriodSeconds" to the desired time frame in seconds (e.g., 120 for M2, as 2 minutes = 120 seconds).
- The custom time frame chart will appear, but you may need to refresh it occasionally (right-click > Refresh) to ensure it updates properly.
- Ensure the base chart remains open to keep the custom chart active.
3. **Third-Party Indicators**:
- You can also use multi-timeframe (MTF) indicators available from sources like EarnForex or FXSSI. These indicators, such as the MA Multi-Timeframe or Supertrend Multi-Timeframe, allow you to analyse non-standard time frames directly on an MT4 chart without creating offline charts. They can be downloaded and installed into MT4’s "Indicators" folder.
**Limitations and Considerations**:
- Custom time frame charts in MT4 are typically offline charts, which may require manual refreshing and continuous running of the base chart.
- Some users report that these solutions can be unreliable or outdated due to MT4’s older architecture, and they recommend switching to MT5 for native support of additional time frames.
- Backtesting on custom time frames in MT4 is challenging, especially for very short time frames (e.g., seconds), and may require external tools like Tickstory for accurate historical data.
- On mobile versions of MT4, installing custom software or indicators to create non-standard time frames is not possible.
**Alternative Approach**:
If you frequently need the additional time frames available in MT5, consider transitioning to MT5, as it natively supports all 21 time frames and offers improved performance for multi-timeframe analysis. Some brokers, like Alpari, provide MT5 with these time frames built in.
