How To Find The Paper Trading Tab on TradingView (Desktop, Web & Mobile)

TradingView’s Paper Trading feature lets you practice buying and selling without risking real money. It looks and feels like normal trading, but all the orders are simulated.

Finding the Paper Trading tab is simple once you know where TradingView hides it—but it’s in slightly different places on web, desktop, and mobile, and it can change depending on your chart layout and language settings.

This guide walks through where to find it, what to do if you don’t see it, and how your device and account setup can change the experience.

What “Paper Trading” Is on TradingView

On TradingView, Paper Trading is a built‑in simulated broker. Instead of connecting a real brokerage account, you connect a virtual account with pretend funds.

A few useful details:

It uses real market data (based on what your chart is showing)
Your trades are not sent to any real exchange
It has order types similar to real brokers (market, limit, stop, etc.)
Your balance, P&L, and positions are tracked in a dedicated panel

You don’t enable paper trading from some global settings menu. Instead, TradingView treats it like a broker connection that you select from a tab/panel.

That’s why the key is: find the trading panel first, then choose Paper Trading as the broker.

Where To Find the Paper Trading Tab on Web & Desktop

On both the TradingView website (in a browser) and the desktop app, the process is almost identical.

Step 1: Open a Full Chart

The Paper Trading tab only appears in the chart interface, not on watchlists or idea streams.

Log into TradingView.
Open any symbol (e.g., a stock, crypto pair, or forex pair).
Click “Full-featured chart” if you’re not already there.

You should now see a full chart with toolbars on the top, left, and bottom.

Step 2: Look for the Trading Panel at the Bottom

The paper trading option lives inside the Trading Panel at the bottom of the chart.

Look along the bottom edge of the chart window.
You should see tabs or buttons labeled like:
- Trading Panel
- Sometimes also Strategy Tester, Pine Editor, etc., depending on your layout.

If you don’t see anything at the bottom:

Move your mouse to the bottom of the chart; sometimes the bar is collapsed.
Look for a small up arrow or bar you can drag up to expand.

Click Trading Panel. This opens a horizontal panel listing all available brokers and services.

Step 3: Choose “Paper Trading” in the Trading Panel

Inside the Trading Panel:

Scroll through the list of brokers and services.
Look for “Paper Trading” (usually with a TradingView logo icon).
Click it.
Click “Connect” or similar when prompted.

After connecting, you’ll typically see:

A Paper Trading balance (virtual equity and cash)
Buttons like Buy, Sell, and an Order Ticket window
Tabs for Orders, Positions, and History

From here on, you can place trades directly from:

The DOM / Trading panel
The chart (right‑click > Trade options)
The order ticket window

Even though you “connected a broker,” all trades are virtual.

How To Find Paper Trading on the TradingView Mobile App

On the mobile app (Android or iOS), the layout is more compressed, so Paper Trading isn’t a big bottom panel like on desktop—but it’s still treated as a broker.

Step 1: Open a Chart in the App

Open the TradingView app.
Tap a symbol from your Watchlist.
Tap on the symbol to open its chart.

Step 2: Open the Trading Controls

Depending on your version and layout, you’ll usually:

Look for a “Trade” or “Orders” button near the bottom of the screen,
or
Tap a small up arrow / panel icon at the bottom to reveal trading tools.

You’re looking for either:

A trading ticket icon, or
A broker connection menu (often a small label or logo near the “Buy/Sell” buttons).

Step 3: Switch the Broker to Paper Trading

Once you’re in the trading area:

Find the area that shows your current broker or connection.
Tap it to see a list of broker connections.
Select “Paper Trading” from that list.
Confirm the connection.

After connecting:

You should see a paper account balance instead of a broker name or real balance.
The Buy/Sell buttons will now send simulated orders, not live ones.

On some smaller screens, the label might be abbreviated or tucked into a small text element. If you don’t see “Paper Trading” right away, check any place that looks like a dropdown for accounts/brokers.

Why You Might Not See the Paper Trading Tab

If you’re following the steps and still can’t find it, a few factors can get in the way. These are the main variables that affect whether the Paper Trading tab appears clearly.

1. Platform & Version (Web, Desktop, Mobile)

Web (browser) and desktop app:
- Paper Trading appears in the Trading Panel at the bottom of the full chart.
- If the panel is minimized, it’s easy to miss.
Mobile app:
- It appears inside the trading/broker selection area, not as a separate tab.
- UI may slightly differ between Android and iOS, and across app updates.

Older app versions or unusual aspect ratios can shift icons or hide labels behind menus.

2. Account Status & Region

In general, TradingView’s paper trading is widely available, but your experience can vary based on:

Account type (Free vs paid tiers)
Region / local regulations
Whether you’re logged in or using it as a guest

If you’re not logged in, some trading features may be hidden or restricted. In some regions, there may be differences in how broker panels are displayed, but paper trading is typically still present as a TradingView-native option rather than a third-party broker.

3. Chart Layout & Screen Size

The chart interface is highly customizable, which can affect visibility:

Collapsed panels
The bottom panel with the Trading Panel can be collapsed to maximize chart space. On small or ultrawide screens, the visible labels can change or shrink.
Docked/undocked windows
If you undocked panels in a custom layout, the Trading Panel might be on another screen or hidden behind other windows.
Zoom level / display scaling
Very high or very low zoom/scaling can cause labels like “Trading Panel” to truncate or compress into icons.

4. Language and Theme Settings

TradingView supports many languages and light/dark themes:

In another language, “Trading Panel” and “Paper Trading” may appear translated.
In certain color schemes or themes, the bottom bar labels may have low contrast, making them look like part of the background.

The functionality is the same; it’s just the text or visibility that changes.

Different User Profiles: How Paper Trading Access Feels

The core steps to find Paper Trading are similar, but your experience varies depending on how you use TradingView and what device you prefer.

Casual Trader on Mobile Only

Likely to:
- Use the app more than the website
- Trade on the go, with limited screen space
Experience:
- Needs to find the paper trading option inside the trading ticket or account selection area.
- May miss it because it’s behind a small icon or dropdown.
Result:
- Once found, it’s convenient, but not as feature-rich as desktop panels.

Desktop Power User With Multiple Monitors

Likely to:
- Have several charts open
- Customize layouts heavily
Experience:
- May have undocked the bottom panel or resized it so that the “Trading Panel” tab looks tiny.
- Might use hotkeys or right-click menus to trade, making the underlying panel easy to overlook.
Result:
- Access is fast once the panel is visible, and paper trading feels very similar to connecting a real broker.

New User on Free Account

Likely to:
- Be unfamiliar with TradingView’s layout
- Expect a big obvious “Practice Trading” button
Experience:
- Might not realize that “Paper Trading” is treated like a broker in the Trading Panel.
- May stay in watchlists or screener views and never open the full chart, so they don’t see the panel at all.
Result:
- Once they learn “Open the full chart → Trading Panel → Paper Trading,” it clicks, but there’s a small initial learning curve.

What Changes Once You’ve Found the Paper Trading Tab

After you’ve connected the Paper Trading account, a few things behave differently compared with reading charts only:

Trade buttons appear:
Buy/Sell options show up on or near the chart, or in a side/bottom trading module.
Order visualization:
Open orders and positions may appear directly on the chart as lines you can drag to modify.
Account metrics:
You’ll see your virtual balance, profit/loss, and history update live as you experiment.

But how useful that becomes depends on your own setup:

If you’re on mobile, the interface is compressed, so managing complex order flows may feel tight.
On desktop with large monitors, you can arrange multiple charts, the order book, and account info all at once for a more realistic practice environment.
If your internet connection is slow, price updates and order feedback can feel laggy, which changes how realistic the practice feels.

Where Your Own Situation Fills in the Gap

Finding the Paper Trading tab on TradingView ultimately comes down to a few consistent steps:

On web/desktop:
Open a full chart → look at the bottom panel → click Trading Panel → select Paper Trading and connect.
On mobile:
Open a chart → open the trading / broker menu → switch broker to Paper Trading.

Beyond that, how smooth and useful paper trading is for you depends heavily on:

Whether you mostly use desktop or mobile
How large and customized your chart layout is
Your technical comfort level with hidden panels and menus
Your region, account type, and how up-to-date your app or browser setup is

Once you know where the Paper Trading tab lives, the next step is less about the feature itself and more about how it fits into your particular device, layout, and trading practice style.