What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
To set a stock-price alert, add the security to a watchlist if you want to track it, open its quote or chart, choose the app’s alert control, set a price or movement threshold, and save. Then check both the brokerage app’s notification settings and your phone’s permissions. Exact menus and alert options vary by brokerage, region, and app version; the steps below are documented for US versions of Robinhood and Schwab Mobile.
What a watchlist and a price alert do
A watchlist is a way to follow securities without necessarily owning them. Holdings are positions in your account; watched securities are simply items you want to monitor. Robinhood says its alerts can cover assets you hold or watch. Robinhood’s price-alert help describes its US app features.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
A watchlist helps you organize what to follow; an alert notifies you when a configured condition is met. Depending on the app, that condition may be a target price, a percentage move, or an event such as an earnings report. An alert is informational—not a trade instruction or a recommendation.
Set up a watchlist before adding alerts
- Find the watchlist feature. In Robinhood’s documented US flow, go to Investing > Lists > Create watchlist. Other apps may use different labels or let you start from a quote page.
- Search for a security. Search by its name or ticker symbol, check that you have the right security, and add it to the list.
- Name and organize the list. Use a name that makes its purpose clear. Robinhood says list items can be reordered by pressing and dragging them.
- Keep the list focused. A watchlist is easier to maintain when it contains securities you have a reason to follow. Remove items you no longer track rather than treating the list as a record of account holdings.
Robinhood’s watchlist instructions are at Robinhood’s watchlist help page. Fidelity’s help page describes watchlists that can include stocks, mutual funds, money markets, options, annuities, and indexes; it documents a limit of 15 self-created lists, with up to 50 securities in each. The page does not state a publication year and is not a confirmed current mobile walkthrough, so check Fidelity’s current interface and limits before relying on them. Fidelity: Using Watch Lists
#1 Best Overall
Set a price alert in Robinhood
These menu labels and options come from Robinhood’s US support documentation; they may change and should not be assumed to apply in other regions.
- Open the stock or ETF’s chart.
- Tap the bell or Notifications control, then choose Price alerts.
- Choose whether to alert when the price moves above or below your chosen price, enter the threshold, and save.
- For general price-movement push settings, go to Account > Menu > Settings > Notifications and messages > Push Notifications, and check that the relevant options are enabled.
Robinhood says watchlist price alerts are off by default. Its US help also lists movement notifications at 5% (the default) and 10%, plus optional notifications for 52-week highs and lows. These are product-specific settings, not universal alert thresholds. To remove an alert in the documented app, swipe left on it. See Robinhood’s price-alert help for current details.
Rank #2
- Comes with secure packaging
- Easy to read text
- It can be a gift option
Set a target-price or event alert in Schwab Mobile
Schwab Mobile’s documented flow offers a target-price alert and event alerts such as earnings reports. Menu names may change, and this guide applies to Schwab Mobile rather than every Schwab platform.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →- Open Markets, search for the security, and select it.
- Choose Set an Alert, then select Target price.
- Choose the price type and direction, enter the target, and save.
- For an event alert, open News and events and select the relevant event, such as an earnings report.
To manage alerts in the documented app, open Profile > Stock Alerts. Schwab says open alerts can be reviewed and edited there, while successfully triggered alerts appear in a separate tab and are retained for up to 30 days. It also warns: “Please note that alerts on Schwab Mobile are not synchronized with alerts on thinkorswim® or the Schwab.com website.” The steps and retention period are Schwab Mobile-specific. Schwab’s alert guide
Choose a threshold that serves a purpose
Before saving an alert, decide what you want the notification to tell you. A price threshold is useful when a particular price matters to your monitoring plan; a percentage-movement alert watches relative change; an event alert flags a scheduled or reported development if the app supports it. The available choices depend on the brokerage.
- Above or below a price: Set the level at which you want to check the security. Make sure you select the intended direction.
- Percentage movement: Use this when the size of a move matters more than one fixed price. Robinhood documents 5% and 10% movement options in its US help.
- Event: Use an event alert, such as Schwab Mobile’s earnings-report alert, when you want notice of a specified event rather than a price crossing.
An alert only tells you that the configured condition has been met; it does not determine whether the security is suitable to buy, sell, or hold.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Check why a notification did not arrive
First confirm that the alert exists and is enabled in the brokerage app. Then check delivery settings in both the app and your phone’s operating system. If the app offers a choice of channels, verify that you selected one you can receive.
Recommended Free Tools
- Confirm that app notifications are allowed in the phone’s notification settings.
- Check the brokerage’s in-app notification controls and the alert’s status or threshold.
- Check the delivery method available for that alert. Schwab says text can be selected instead of or alongside push notifications on its Schwab Mobile product page.
- Allow for the possibility of service or device delays; a saved alert does not guarantee that a push notification will arrive.
Robinhood states: “Robinhood Financial LLC can’t always guarantee delivery of push notifications.” It says delivery can depend on service availability and phone settings. Robinhood’s price-alert help
Best Value
Review and maintain your alerts
When your reason for watching a security changes, revisit its thresholds and remove alerts you no longer need. A periodic review of the watchlist and open alerts helps prevent old settings from being mistaken for current ones. In Schwab Mobile, use Profile > Stock Alerts to review or edit open alerts and consult the triggered-alert tab for recent activity. Robinhood’s documented removal method is to swipe left on an alert.
Do not assume an alert will carry over between apps or platforms. Schwab Mobile explicitly says its alerts do not synchronize with thinkorswim or Schwab.com, so check each platform where you want an alert.
What to keep in mind before acting on an alert
Price notifications are prompts to review information, not buy or sell orders. Robinhood states: “Notifications are provided for informational purposes only, and aren’t a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any particular security.” Verify the security and current information in your brokerage account before making a decision. Robinhood’s price-alert help
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
