How to block YouTube at certain times

Block the connection, not a list of YouTube domains

If the rule is "no YouTube at night," a router downtime schedule is usually the clearest network control. Put the child's devices in a profile and stop their internet access during the chosen hours.

This also stops homework sites, chat, games, updates, and every other online service. That cost is plain and easy to test. A timed DNS list looks narrower but can miss YouTube paths and break embedded videos or Google account handoffs.

Vidward has no time schedule. It is a desktop browser extension plus a parent dashboard, not a router or device timer.

Build the profile before the schedule

1. 1

   List every device the child can use at night, including computers, phones, tablets, TVs, and consoles.

2. 2

   In the router app, create a child or family profile. Assign each device and check its name against the device itself.

3. 3

   Open Bedtime, Downtime, Offline Schedule, or Time Scheduling. Set the blocked start time, end time, days, and router time zone.

4. 4

   Start a YouTube video before the block begins. Wait for buffered video to finish, then test the app, site, and another internet service.

5. 5

   Test the end of the schedule too. Confirm that school and work sites return without a manual reset.

Check the profile after a phone update, network reset, or router replacement. A device that returns under a new private address may sit outside the schedule.

Use the setting name your router supports now

• TP-Link HomeShield: use Bedtime or No Internet in the child profile. Custom times may need an advanced plan.
• ASUS: use Parental Controls, then Time Scheduling. Some firmware places it under AiProtection.
• eero: create a scheduled pause on the child's Profile. This is available without eero Plus.
• Xfinity: open the person's settings and create a Downtime schedule such as Bedtime.
• BT Smart Hub: use WiFi access controls or BT access control, depending on the hub model.
• Sky WiFi Max: open the profile in My Sky and create a downtime schedule.

Firmware changes often. If the label above is absent, check the current support page for the exact model instead of following an old screenshot.

The TP-Link router guide, ASUS router guide, eero guide, Xfinity guide, and BT and Sky guide give the current paths and limits.

Close the paths that do not use the home router

A router schedule covers only traffic through that router. A phone on cellular data, a public wifi network, or a hotspot stays online. A second router or guest network may also sit outside the profile.

For a phone or tablet, pair the router rule with the device's own parent control. Family Link can set Android device limits. Screen Time can set iPhone or iPad Downtime and app limits. Those controls travel with the device.

Read how to block YouTube on Android, on iPhone, or on iPad for the current device paths.

Do not schedule a broad DNS list unless you accept the damage

Some routers let you turn website filters on only during set hours. A YouTube domain list still cannot tell one video from another. googlevideo.com may stop playback, but it also stops YouTube players embedded on other sites.

Apps can use more domains or cached connections. VPNs and encrypted DNS can avoid a basic resolver rule. The list may need repair after a YouTube update.

Use the DNS guide if you still want to test that route. Keep a rollback list and check Google sign in, school sites, and embedded lessons.

Keep YouTube with limits inside the account

Google now lets a linked parent block an exact channel for a supervised child account. Family Center can also set the daily Shorts feed limit to zero. Google also offers bedtime reminders, but a reminder is not the same as a parent held network or device block.

Vidward can block channels, videos, title words, and Shorts in a desktop browser. It can keep autoplay off. It cannot schedule YouTube by hour and it cannot stop a router, phone, tablet, TV, console, or network connection.

If the goal is a strict bedtime, use a router or device schedule. If the goal is "my child can use YouTube but not this content, on their computer," use a narrower content control instead.