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To set a stock-price alert, add the security to a watchlist if you want to follow it, open its quote or chart, choose the app’s alert control, and save a price or event threshold. Then confirm that alerts are enabled in both the brokerage app and your phone’s notification settings. The exact controls differ by broker and can change; the examples below are US-facing and based on official provider help accessed October 7, 2026.
What a watchlist and price alert do
A watchlist is a way to follow securities in the app; adding a stock to one does not by itself mean you own it. Brokerage apps may let you set alerts for securities you hold, securities you watch, or both. An alert notifies you when a defined condition is met. It is not an order to buy or sell, and it does not guarantee that you will see the notification immediately.
Set up a watchlist and choose what to follow
- Find the security. Search by its name or ticker symbol, then check the quote details to make sure you have the intended security.
- Add it to a list. Choose the app’s watchlist or list control. If the app supports named lists, create one for a useful purpose—such as companies you are researching or investments you already own—and keep watched securities distinct from account holdings.
- Organize the list. Remove securities you no longer follow and reorder entries if the app provides that option. In Robinhood’s US help, the documented path is Investing > Lists > Create watchlist; items can be reordered by holding and dragging. Interface labels may change.
List limits vary. Fidelity’s cited “Using Watch Lists” help page documents up to 15 self-created watchlists with up to 50 securities each, and says lists can include stocks, mutual funds, money markets, options, annuities, and indexes. The page is not a confirmed current mobile walkthrough, so check Fidelity’s current help for applicable limits and steps.
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Choose an alert that matches why you are watching
Pick a condition that would prompt you to check the security, rather than setting a threshold just because the app offers one. Depending on the broker, choices may include:
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- Target price: notify you when the price crosses a level above or below the current price.
- Percentage movement: notify you after a specified move, if supported.
- Event or news: notify you about an event such as an earnings report, if supported.
Before saving, check the direction, threshold, and any available price type. A price alert indicates that the app’s condition was met; it does not establish that a trade is suitable for you.
Set a price alert in Robinhood
Robinhood’s US help describes custom above- or below-price alerts for stocks and ETFs, as well as price-movement notifications. Watchlist price alerts are off by default.
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- Open the security’s chart.
- Select the bell or Notifications control, then choose Price alerts.
- Choose whether the alert is for a price above or below your chosen level, enter the threshold, and save.
- To configure broader movement notifications, go to Account > Menu > Settings > Notifications and messages > Push Notifications and review the available options.
Robinhood’s help lists 5% as the default movement threshold and 10% as another option, plus optional 52-week high or low notifications. These are Robinhood-specific settings in its US help, not general market rules. To remove an alert, the help says to swipe left on it in the app.
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- Open Markets, search for a symbol, and select the security.
- Choose Set an Alert, then Target price.
- Select the price type and direction, enter the target, and save.
- For an event alert such as an earnings report, use the available controls under News and events.
To review or edit open alerts, go to Profile > Stock Alerts. The Triggered alerts tab shows alerts that have fired; Schwab says successfully triggered alerts are retained for up to 30 days. Schwab Mobile alerts do not synchronize with thinkorswim or Schwab.com, so an alert created on one platform should not be assumed to exist on another.
Check delivery settings if alerts do not arrive
Saving an alert and receiving its notification are separate steps. Check the alert itself, the brokerage app’s delivery preferences, and your phone’s operating-system permissions.
- Confirm the alert is enabled and that its condition has not already been met or changed.
- In the brokerage app, check that the chosen channel—such as push or text—is enabled. Schwab’s product page says text can be selected instead of or alongside push notifications.
- In your phone settings, allow notifications for the brokerage app and check Focus, Do Not Disturb, battery, and background-activity settings that may affect delivery.
- Look for a triggered-alert history or other in-app record to distinguish an alert that fired from a push notification that did not appear.
Robinhood cautions: “Robinhood Financial LLC can’t always guarantee delivery of push notifications.” It says delivery can depend on service availability and phone settings. Do not rely on a push alert as your only time-sensitive safeguard.
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When the reason for tracking a security changes, revisit its threshold and remove alerts that no longer make sense. Check open alerts periodically, especially after major price moves or when you reorganize your watchlist. Use the app’s triggered-alert history, if available, to see which conditions have already fired; retention and editing options differ by provider.
Robinhood states that its notifications are informational and “aren’t a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any particular security.” Treat an alert as a prompt to review current information and your own plan, not as a trading instruction.
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Why the steps may look different
Alert types, menu names, delivery channels, and synchronization vary among brokerages, app versions, account eligibility, and regions. The paths above describe the providers’ cited materials, not a universal brokerage-app interface. Fidelity’s cited watchlist page explains list and alert concepts but does not establish a current mobile tap-by-tap path. For another broker, consult its current official help for the app and region you use before relying on a specific menu path.
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