# Scan panels say the IBKR scanner is off or waiting

> Scan panels say IBKR scanner is off, Waiting for TWS or No matches: switch the scanner on, connect TWS, or widen its filters. Each fix, step by step.

Source: https://scalpeltrade.com/guides/fix-scanner-off
Guide 13.7, Troubleshooting. Beginner, 4 min read.
Checked with Scalpel 1.12.8 on 2026-10-15. By Scalpel Team.

**In short:**

Every scan panel runs over one list: the IBKR scanner's, built from Interactive Brokers' own market scanner on your TWS connection. **IBKR scanner is off** means it is switched off: tick **Enabled** next to **IBKR scanner** in **Settings** > **Connection**. **Waiting for TWS** means it is on but has no results yet: check the IBKR pill. **No matches** means nothing passes its filters right now: lower **Min change %** or widen the price band.

Scalpel has no separate scanner service and no paid scanner subscription: it asks IBKR's own scanner for top gainers, 3-minute volume spikes, halts, hot-by-volume names and gappers, merges them into one list, then ranks that list live. When the list is empty, every scan panel is empty, and the panel says why.

*Screenshot: The three empty states of an IBKR scanner panel. Demo data.*

## IBKR scanner is off

"Every scan runs over its list. Enable it in Settings under Connection."

The IBKR scanner is switched off, so no scan has any symbols to work with.

### 1. Open the Connection tab

Click **Open settings** on the panel, or press `Ctrl`+`,` and pick **Connection**.

### 2. Enable the IBKR scanner

Tick **Enabled** next to **IBKR scanner (market scans over TWS)** and click **Apply**. It applies live: no restart.

*Screenshot: Settings > Connection: the IBKR scanner block and its filters, outlined, with the defaults. Demo data.*

## Waiting for TWS

The scanner is on and waiting for its first results. Usually one of:

- **TWS or IB Gateway is not connected.** The **IBKR** pill in the status bar must read **Connected**. If not, see [guide 13.1](https://scalpeltrade.com/guides/fix-disconnected).
- **It has just connected.** IBKR answers within seconds and refreshes its scans about every 30 seconds. Give it a moment.
- **IBKR is refusing the scans.** A scan IBKR turns down is tried again every 30 seconds. If the panel never fills while the pill is green, open TWS's own scanner: if that shows nothing either, ask Interactive Brokers about your market data and scanner access.

## No matches

"Nothing passes the IBKR scanner's filters right now. They are in Settings under Connection."

The scanner is working, but no stock passes its filters. Early in the pre-market few names are up 10% yet, so this is common soon after 04:00 ET.

| Filter | Default | Widen it by |
|---|---|---|
| **Price min** / **Price max** | 0.1 / 100 | Raising Price max, lowering Price min |
| **Min change %** | 10 | Lowering it, for example to 5 |
| **Min volume** | No limit | Clearing it |
| **Max shares out (M)** | No limit | Clearing it: names IBKR has no share count for are dropped when it is set |
| **Stocks only (no ETFs)** | On | Leave on unless you trade ETFs |

Filters apply live. **List size** (30) is how many names the list holds; each one uses one of your IBKR market data lines, so keep it within your account's allowance. Every filter is explained in [guide 8.1](https://scalpeltrade.com/guides/set-up-ibkr-scanner).

## No matches on other scan panels

**High of day momentum**, **Running up** and **Setups** panels show a plain "No matches" when the list has names but none passes that scan's own rules right now. That is the scan doing its job on a quiet tape. Their rules are in each panel's cog ([guide 8.2](https://scalpeltrade.com/guides/scan-types)). In **LOG** view, "No alerts yet" means nothing has alerted since the panel opened.

## Clicking a row loads nothing

Clicking a scanner row loads the stock onto a free trader desk. If none is free, an amber toast says why:

- **"No trader desk open: click SCAN on a desk to switch it to TRADER"**: every desk is a scan desk. Click **SCAN** in a desk's header to turn it back into a trader desk ([guide 2.2](https://scalpeltrade.com/guides/arrange-desks)).
- **"No free desk: every trader desk holds a position"**: each trader desk is in a trade. Close one, or switch a flat scan desk to **TRADER**.

A desk that is the only one showing a position cannot be switched to **SCAN**: the position would be on no desk, with its stop unwatched. Scalpel refuses with "D1 holds a position: close it before switching it to SCAN".

## Questions

**Why does the Scalpel scanner say IBKR scanner is off?**

The IBKR scanner is switched off in Settings > Connection. Every scan runs over its list, so tick Enabled next to IBKR scanner and click Apply.

**Why does the scanner say Waiting for TWS?**

It is on but has no results yet: TWS or IB Gateway is not connected, it has only just connected, or IBKR is refusing the scans. Check the IBKR pill in the status bar.

**Why is the scanner empty in the pre-market?**

Few stocks are up 10% or more early in the pre-market. Lower Min change % in Settings > Connection to see more names.

**Do I need a scanner subscription?**

No separate service. Scalpel uses Interactive Brokers' own scanner through your TWS or IB Gateway connection.