How often to review the permissions you've given a connected trading app, and what to look for when you do

I'm Chris, co-founder of Autopilot. Connecting an app to your brokerage account is a decision you make once and then live with, and most people never look at it again. That's the wrong way around. The permission is the thing that matters, not the signup. Here's what a following app actually needs from your account, what it should never need, how often I'd look at it, and what to check when you do, including how to shut it off.

One thing first, because we're an SEC-registered investment adviser and I have to say it. Autopilot is the app. The actual investment advice comes from Autopilot Advisers, LLC. If you want the full legal version of anything in here, it's on our disclaimer page.

1) What an app actually needs, and what it shouldn't

Sort any connected app by what it can do to your account. A data tool needs to read. An app that follows a Portfolio for you needs to send orders. Nothing you connect for investing should need the ability to move money out of the account, and if an authorization screen asks for that, stop.

Ours is the middle one. You give Autopilot Advisers limited authority to send orders to that account. When the Portfolio changes, we send them and your broker fills them. The money stays put. We don't hold client funds or hold anything at all; your broker keeps custody, sends the statements, and issues the tax documents. That's the whole of it, and it's the same for every brokerage on our connect screen.

2) How often to look

My rule: once a quarter, and any time something changes. Quarterly because that's when I'd have you open the fact sheet of whatever you're following anyway, to check the drawdown since you started and confirm the Pilot is still the one you picked. The permission review takes two extra minutes on top of that. And "any time something changes" means a new brokerage, a new password, a new phone, a notice from the app or the broker, or a statement line you don't recognize.

If you follow more than one Portfolio, review the allocation to each while you're there. You set how much of the account follows each one, and life changes faster than settings do.

3) What to check

Four things. Is the app still one you use? Dormant connections are the ones nobody's watching. Is the authority still what you agreed to, and is the entity the same one you looked up? The adviser behind an app has a legal name, and it should match your agreement; how to look it up is in How to check whether an investing app is registered, in five minutes: IAPD, BrokerCheck, and what the relationship summary tells you. Do your brokerage statements show orders you can connect to the Portfolio you follow? You should be able to explain every line. And has the app's fee or conflict disclosure changed? Ours are in Form CRS, and the plain-English version is in What does Autopilot cost? Every fee, what adds on, and how to figure out if it's worth it for you.

4) How to shut it off

Two sides, and you should know both before you connect. Inside Autopilot, you can stop following any Portfolio at any time, and the orders stop with it; your positions sit at your broker exactly as they were. The other side is your brokerage. If the only off switch is inside the app, you're depending on the app working to turn it off, so find out where your brokerage manages third-party access to your account before you need it, and if you can't find it, call them. I'd want that answer from any app, including us, and it's one of the five checks in Is it safe to connect your brokerage to an investing app? Five checks, and how we answer them.

5) The basics on the brokerage side

None of this replaces plain account hygiene at the broker, because the broker is where the money is. A password you use nowhere else. Whatever second-factor login your brokerage offers, turned on. Statement and trade alerts on, so an order you didn't expect reaches you the same day. And read the statement, even when nothing's wrong, because reading it when nothing's wrong is how you'll notice when something is.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I review the permissions I've granted to a connected trading app?

Once a quarter, and any time something changes: a new brokerage, password, or phone, a notice from the app or broker, or a statement line you don't recognize. Pair it with the quarterly look at the fact sheet of whatever you follow. Check that you still use the app, that its authority and legal entity match your agreement, that every order on your statement ties to the Portfolio you follow, and that the fee and conflict disclosures haven't changed.

What permissions does a copy trading app actually need from my brokerage?

Enough to send orders, and no more. A data tool only needs to read; an app that follows a Portfolio for you needs authority to send orders to your account; nothing you connect for investing should be able to move money out. With Autopilot, you give Autopilot Advisers, LLC limited authority to send orders, your broker fills them and keeps custody, and the app never holds your money.

Can I revoke a copy trading app's access to my brokerage at any time?

In Autopilot, you can stop following any Portfolio at any time, and your positions stay at your broker as they were. Separately, find out where your brokerage manages third-party access to your account, and call them if you can't find it; an off switch that lives only inside an app depends on the app working. Know both sides before you connect anything.

brokerage account security

Start where the money is. Use a password unique to the brokerage, turn on whatever second-factor login it offers, turn on trade and statement alerts, and read statements even when nothing's wrong. Then review each connected app once a quarter: still in use, authority and legal entity unchanged, every order explainable, disclosures unchanged. A following app should only be able to send orders; nothing you connect should be able to move money out.

TLDR

A following app needs to send orders, nothing more, and nothing you connect should move money out. Review each connection once a quarter and whenever anything changes: still in use, same authority, same entity, every order explainable, disclosures unchanged. Know how to shut it off from both the app and the brokerage before you need to. With Autopilot, stop following any Portfolio in the app at any time; your money never left your broker.

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Since Autopilot Advisers is an SEC-registered investment adviser, we have to put disclaimers on stuff like this. They're below, and the full version is on our disclaimer page.

Disclosures

© Autopilot Holdings Corporation 2026 — All rights reserved. “Autopilot” refers to Autopilot Holdings Corporation and its wholly-owned, and separately managed subsidiaries, including Autopilot Advisers, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. All investing is subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal invested, and past performance is not indicative of future results. View our Customer Relationship Summary and other important information at joinautopilot.com/disclaimer.

This information is provided by Autopilot for educational and illustrative purposes only and is not a recommendation, an offer to sell or the solicitation to buy any security. Autopilot relies on information from various sources believed to be reliable, including information from Clients, Pilots and other third parties, but cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of that information. Autopilot does not provide tax or legal advice and you are encouraged to consult with professionals before making investment decisions.

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Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. You should carefully consider your investment objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizon before investing through Autopilot.

Autopilot Advisers, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Additional information about Autopilot is available in our Form ADV Part 2A, available at adviserinfo.sec.gov or joinautopilot.com/adv.

Autopilot provides limited investment advisory services focused on Portfolio selection and suitability assessment. Our services are not intended to replace comprehensive financial planning. We recommend consulting with a qualified financial advisor regarding your complete financial situation.

This content is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment, legal, or tax advice and should not be relied upon as the basis for any investment decision. You should consult with qualified professionals regarding your specific circumstances.

Autopilot does not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult with qualified tax and legal professionals regarding your specific circumstances.

Autopilot does not hold client assets. All investments are held at the brokerage firm you select and connect to Autopilot. Your brokerage firm is responsible for trade execution, custody, and reporting. Autopilot is not responsible for your broker-dealer’s services, fees, or execution quality.

Autopilot’s services depend on technology systems, third-party APIs, and internet connectivity. System outages, API disruptions, or connectivity issues may temporarily affect service availability or trade execution timing.

Client account holdings are designed to track the Portfolio you’ve selected, but your actual holdings and performance may differ from the Portfolio due to execution timing, market conditions, brokerage capacity constraints, fractional share availability, and other factors outside Autopilot’s control.

For Portfolios inspired by publicly disclosed trading activity, there may be a delay between when a Pilot executes a trade and when that trade becomes publicly available and is incorporated into the Portfolio. This timing delay may affect the suitability or performance of trades when executed in client accounts.

Security practices described are general suggestions, not a description of any brokerage's features or of Autopilot's systems; whether and how a brokerage lets account holders manage third-party access is for that brokerage to describe. Statements about Autopilot are limited to the limited trading authority in its client agreement and Form CRS and to the fact that Autopilot does not hold client funds. Nothing here is a recommendation or a claim about results.