MACD alerts: get notified on signal-line and zero-line crosses

MACD (moving average convergence divergence) compares two exponential moving averages of price. The MACD line is the faster average minus the slower average, and a signal line (an average of the MACD line) lags behind it. A MACD alert pings you when that line crosses the signal line, or crosses zero, on a completed daily close.

What the two crosses mean

A signal-line cross is the earlier one. Crossing above the signal line means shorter-term momentum has turned up relative to its own recent average. Crossing below means it has turned down. These show up often, including while a stock chops sideways, so they work as a heads-up. They are a poor standalone order.

A zero-line cross is slower. Zero is where the fast and slow averages are equal, because the MACD line is their difference. A cross above zero means the fast average has moved above the slow average. A cross below zero means it has moved back under. Many traders treat the signal cross as the early notice and the zero cross as confirmation that the swing has turned. Neither one is an instruction to buy or sell. The same cross on a widely followed name such as AAPL is still only a reason to look.

This is not a 50/200 golden-cross alert. Triggerly does not ping you when one moving average crosses another. See the moving average guide for price versus an average. MACD watches the MACD line against the signal line, or against zero.

How traders commonly use it

• Early turn. Watch the signal line, and only in the direction you would actually review.
• Slower confirmation. Watch the zero line. You get fewer alerts, and they arrive after more of the move is already done.
• One side only. If you want a warning that momentum is rolling over, set the cross below. Both directions on a choppy stock means both will fire as it weaves around.
• Cross plus participation. Require a volume spike in the same alert so a quiet wiggle in the indicator does not page you.

RSI measures how stretched a move is, on a fixed 14-day reading. MACD says whether the spread between two averages has turned. Requiring both in one combined alert is stricter than alerting on either one alone.

Periods you can set

You do not type an arbitrary length. Fast is 8, 12, or 26. Slow is 17, 26, or 52, and fast must be smaller than slow. Signal is 9 or 12. The default 12/26/9 is available. Fast 26 only works with slow 52. Fast 8 or 12 can pair with 17, 26, or 52. 8/17 crosses more often than 12/26/9, including false starts in a range. Signal 12 is smoother than 9. Slow 52 makes zero-line crosses rarer, which helps on a jumpy stock.

Set a MACD alert on Android

1. Open Triggerly and search the stock.
2. Choose the MACD alert.
3. Pick fast, slow, and signal. Leave 12, 26, and 9 if you are not sure. Fast has to be smaller than slow.
4. Pick one condition: MACD crosses above the signal line, crosses below the signal line, crosses above zero, or crosses below zero.
5. Turn on push, email, or Telegram in Settings → Notifications. Those channels are account-wide, not chosen on this alert. For Telegram, open @triggerly_app_bot, tap Start, copy the Chat ID it replies with, and paste it in Settings. The Telegram guide covers that once.

It is evaluated on completed daily closes and fires once per event. An intraday cross that is gone by the close does not count, and later days stay quiet while MACD remains on the same side of the line. A new cross is a new event. Open AI Alert Analysis for the likely cause of the move and levels to watch.

How to avoid noisy MACD alerts

• If signal-line alerts are firing on a stock that is going nowhere, switch to the zero line, or move from 8/17 toward 12/26 or a slow period of 52. Set only the direction you would open the app for.
• Require more than one condition. A Combined Alert takes up to three conditions, all of them true, and fires at most once per trading day. Pair a signal-line cross with a volume spike (2x, 3x, 5x, or 10x the 20-day average) or a new high or new low.
• Treat the ping as a prompt to look at the chart and the news. It is not a forecast.

FAQ

What does a Triggerly MACD alert watch?

Four events, judged on completed daily closes: the MACD line crosses above the signal line, crosses below the signal line, crosses above zero, or crosses below zero. Each one fires once per event. Fast can be 8, 12, or 26; slow can be 17, 26, or 52, and fast must be smaller than slow; signal can be 9 or 12. The default 12/26/9 is available.

Should I alert on the signal line or the zero line?

The signal line crosses earlier and more often. The zero line crosses less often, when the faster average has moved above or below the slower average. If a stock is pinging you in a sideways stretch, switch to the zero line or a slower period pair.

Can I get MACD alerts for free on Android?

Yes. Triggerly is free on Android: no ads, no subscription, and no in-app purchases. Free accounts track up to 5 stocks with unlimited alerts per stock. Each friend who installs via your invite link and signs up unlocks 1 more stock, up to 15. Push, email, and Telegram are set once for the whole account in Settings → Notifications.

Triggerly guides are for education only. Not investment advice.