Seeing an error message on Forex.com? You are in the right place. Can't log in or see your charts?
This guide walks you through checking the outage. It also shows you how to protect your account right away. We'll cover long-term plans to lower future risks too.
Before doing anything else, perform these quick checks.
The first step is to find out if the problem is with Forex.com or your device. This check saves time and cuts down on stress.
Follow this process to find the source of your connection issue.
Check Third-Party Status Monitors. Look at sites like Downdetector for Forex.com problems. A big spike in reports means many users have issues.
Consult Official Channels. Forex.com itself is the best source of info. Check their Twitter feed or status page for news about tech problems.
Perform Basic Troubleshooting. Rule out problems on your end before blaming the broker.
If your connection works fine but others report problems, a Forex.com outage is likely happening.
A platform outage is one of the biggest risks for traders. Here's our exact plan to handle the situation and protect your money.
This should be your first concern. You need to know your risk level right now.
Do you have open trades? These should have stop-losses and take-profits that work even if your platform is down.
Can you access your account another way? Try the mobile app if the desktop version is down.
If you can't access your account at all, start keeping records right away.
This is your most vital task during an outage. Your records may help if you need to claim losses later.
Take Screenshots. Capture all error messages. Get images of the frozen platform with the time showing.
Note the Time. Write down exactly when you first saw the Forex.com down issue. Be precise.
Log Your Intended Actions. Write down what you were trying to do. For example: "At 9:35 AM EST, I tried to close my EUR/USD position at 1.0850."
Gather Evidence. Keep track of all your attempts to contact support. Save copies of emails you send.
During a major outage, phone lines will be very busy. You'll need patience.
Try all support channels Forex.com offers. Phone support is often best, but expect long waits.
Send a detailed email to their support address. Attach your screenshots as proof. This creates a record with timestamps.
Don't waste time constantly checking for updates. This only adds stress and solves nothing.
Instead, check for news every 15-30 minutes. Look at the official Forex.com Twitter feed and status page on a schedule.
This approach keeps you informed without causing anxiety. You can focus on documenting the issue and planning your next steps.
Platform downtime happens for specific reasons. Knowing these causes helps you assess the situation better.
These cause most broker outages.
Server Issues often lead to problems. The servers that run the trading platform can fail or get overloaded.
Data Feed Problems can also cause outages. If price information stops flowing, charts freeze and trading halts.
DDoS Attacks happen when hackers flood servers with fake traffic. This can make the site unreachable for real traders.
Scheduled Maintenance is planned downtime. Sometimes updates go wrong, causing longer outages than expected.
Sometimes the market itself causes problems.
Extreme Volatility during major news events can create huge trading volume. Many traders log in at once during job reports or rate decisions.
This flood of activity can overwhelm even strong systems. The result is slowdowns or complete outages.
Past events like the Swiss franc shock in 2015 or Brexit caused many brokers to go down. Their systems couldn't handle the volume.
The issue might be with the software you use.
Bugs in new updates for MT4, MT5, or web platforms can cause problems. Login servers can fail even when trading servers work fine.
Cause of Outage | Typical Duration | Impact on Traders |
---|---|---|
Scheduled Maintenance | Short (announced) | Low (can plan around it) |
Server/Technical Glitch | Minutes to Hours | High (unpredictable, affects all functions) |
Extreme Market Volatility | Minutes to Hours | Very High (occurs at the worst possible time) |
DDoS Attack | Variable | High (can affect access and platform stability) |
After facing outages, we created these rules. They help ensure we're never helpless when a broker goes down.
Use Stop-Loss and Take-Profit orders on every trade. No exceptions to this rule.
These orders stay on the Forex.com servers. They work even if your computer crashes or your internet fails.
Server-side orders execute automatically when prices hit your levels. This is your best defense against outages.
This is the ultimate backup plan used by professional traders. Open a second account with a different broker.
You don't need to trade on both accounts. The second account is your "hot backup."
If your main broker goes down during an important market event, you can use the backup. This gives you control when you need it most.
Read the agreement you signed with Forex.com. Look for sections about liability during platform downtime.
Getting compensation for losses during an outage is very hard. You must prove your case.
This is why documentation is so important. Your notes and screenshots are your only leverage in a dispute.
If Forex.com down events happen often, that's a red flag. One outage can happen to anyone. A pattern of failures is serious.
When judging broker reliability, look at:
A Forex.com outage can be stressful and costly. A calm, organized approach reduces the damage.
The key is moving from panic to planning. Remember three main steps: Verify the outage quickly, document everything carefully, and protect positions with server-side orders.
By using these strategies, you can turn platform downtime from a disaster into a minor problem. This makes you a more resilient and professional trader.