How to Block Internet Access at Night on Android and Windows (2026 Method)

How to Block Internet Access at Night on Android and Windows (2026 Method)

Last week a friend told me her 12‑year‑old was “just going to the bathroom” at 11:30 p.m. She walked past his room and saw the screen glow under the blanket. TikTok. Again. He was exhausted the next morning, moody, and late for school.

If that sounds familiar, you are not alone. Kids are wired to keep scrolling, apps are built to keep them hooked, and late‑night internet turns into a battle that parents feel they are losing. The good news is, you can win this one with a mix of tech settings and clear rules.

This guide will show you simple, up‑to‑date ways to block or limit internet access at night on both Android and Windows in 2026, plus how a parental control tool like Avosmart can automate most of it for you.

• Set fixed “internet bedtime” hours on both Android and Windows so devices simply go offline at night.
• Use built‑in tools first, then add a dedicated Screen Time App if your child is bypassing limits.
• Protect specific problem areas like social media, games, and YouTube instead of fighting every single app one by one.
• Combine tech rules with honest conversations so kids understand you are protecting their sleep, not punishing them.

Why Night‑Time Internet Is Such A Big Problem For Kids

Sleep debt turns into behavior and school problems

Most kids need far more sleep than they are getting. Late‑night scrolling is sneaky. A “quick” check turns into 45 minutes of TikTok or Discord. Blue light delays melatonin, so even after they put the device down, they are too wired to sleep.

What you see the next day is not “bad attitude” out of nowhere. You see a tired brain: arguments over everything, forgotten homework, slower thinking, and poor focus. Over weeks or months, this can turn into slipping grades and more fights at home.

Night is when risky stuff spikes

At night, kids feel less supervised and more anonymous. That is when chats with strangers, sharing risky photos, or watching inappropriate videos often happen. Friends may press them to stay online longer, join one more game, or send one more picture.

This is why late hours are a good time to be extra strict about online boundaries. Protecting sleep is important, but protecting their safety and mental health is right up there with it.

Why simple rules often do not work alone

Plenty of parents start with “Phone stays on the desk at 9:30.” It works until the child quietly moves it back to their bed, knows your PIN, or uses a secondary device like an old phone or a school laptop.

Kids are smart. They swap SIM cards, use hotspot from another device, or sneak onto a shared home computer. That is why tech rules need actual tech support: schedules, filters, and logs that show you what is really happening.

How To Block Internet Access At Night On Android

Step 1: Start with basic Android settings

If your child has an Android phone or tablet, begin with what is already built in.

• Use Digital Wellbeing and parental controls:
  • Open Settings → Digital Wellbeing & parental controls.
  • Set Bedtime Mode for screen dimming and do not disturb.
  • Use App timers for specific apps, so TikTok, YouTube, or games stop working after a set time.
• Use Family Link if your child has a Google account:
  • Install Google Family Link on your phone and on your child’s device.
  • Create your child’s profile and connect it to their device.
  • Set a Daily limit and a Bedtime where the device locks.

These tools are a good start, but many teens quickly learn to work around them by using web versions of apps, installing VPNs, or using different browsers.

Step 2: Use a parental control app for stronger night rules

If your child is already stretching or breaking limits, you will probably need a dedicated parental control app. This is where Avosmart comes in handy, because it combines scheduling, filtering, and monitoring in one place.

Here is how you can use Avosmart on Android to stop internet access at night without constant arguments.

• Install and connect the device
  • Create a parent account on Avosmart.
  • Install the child app on your kid’s Android phone or tablet.
  • Link it to your account, then open your parent dashboard.
• Set night internet schedules using Website Access Time Control
  • Choose your child’s profile in Avosmart.
  • Go to the schedule or time control section.
  • Pick a “no internet” window at night, for example 9:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. on school nights.
  • Decide which apps, if any, are allowed during that time, such as a reading app or white noise.
• Limit overall screen time with the Screen Time App
  • Set total daily usage caps for the device or for specific app categories.
  • Once the limit is reached, the device or those apps lock, even before bedtime.
• Block specific late‑night troublemakers with the App Blocker
  • In Avosmart, open the app list for your child.
  • Block or schedule apps like TikTok, Instagram, Discord, and late‑night games.
  • Set them to be completely unavailable during sleep hours.

Many parents like this approach because the rule becomes “The phone just does not work after 10,” instead of “I am taking your phone again.” The app is the bad cop, not you.

Step 3: Protect against inappropriate content at all hours

Even with time limits, you probably want some sites blocked day and night. Porn, self‑harm content, and violent material are easy to stumble onto, especially late at night when kids are bored and curious.

You can use Avosmart’s Website Filtering feature to block categories like adult content, gambling, and drugs automatically. You can also create a personal blacklist to cut off specific sites that are a problem in your home.

If YouTube is your main headache, Avosmart’s YouTube Monitoring lets you see what your child is searching and watching, and you can block channels that are not appropriate.

How To Block Internet Access At Night On Windows (PC & Laptop)

Option 1: Use Microsoft Family Safety

Windows has decent built‑in parental controls when your child uses a Microsoft account.

• Create a child account under your Microsoft family.
• Go to account.microsoft.com/family and sign in as the parent.
• Click your child’s name, then set:
  • Screen time schedules so the PC is unusable during sleep hours.
  • App and game limits to cut down on late‑night gaming.
  • Web filtering to keep adult content blocked.

This is a good baseline, especially for younger kids. Most teens, however, will eventually find ways around weak passwords or shared profiles, so you may want more control.

Option 2: Use Avosmart on Windows

Avosmart is not just for phones. You can install it on Windows computers too, so your night rules are consistent across devices.

• Install Avosmart on the child’s Windows device and link it to your parent account.
• Use the same schedules you use on Android:
  • Set “no internet” hours at night.
  • Apply different rules for school nights versus weekends if you want to be more flexible on Fridays and Saturdays.
• Block high‑distraction apps and games with the App Blocker so launchers, browsers, and games cannot be opened after a certain time.
• Review activity through Avosmart’s Reports and Statistics to see which apps and sites are eating the most time, especially late at night.

Instead of guessing whether your child is gaming at midnight or finishing homework, you will see clear logs. That makes future talks a lot more grounded and a lot less emotional.

Option 3: Router or modem night‑time cut‑off

If all the kids’ devices share the same home Wi‑Fi, you can set internet schedules at the router level.

• Log into your router or modem settings page (usually printed on a sticker on the device).
• Look for Wi‑Fi schedule, Access control, or Parental controls.
• Create rules that cut Wi‑Fi for specific devices or for the whole home during certain hours.

This approach works best for younger kids who do not have mobile data yet. Teens with their own SIM cards can bypass a router rule by using cellular internet, which is why a device‑level solution like Avosmart usually works better on its own or in combination.

How Avosmart Makes Night‑Time Internet Rules Easier

1. One dashboard for all your kids’ devices

Most families are juggling at least one phone and one computer per child. That is a lot of settings screens to keep track of. Avosmart pulls everything into one parent dashboard so you can see Android and Windows usage together.

You can quickly tell if your son is offline on his phone at 10 p.m. but then jumping onto the gaming PC until midnight. When both devices follow the same rules, there is less loophole hunting.

2. Smart schedules instead of constant nagging

Once you set up schedules, you do not have to chase your child around the house at bedtime. The device simply changes state at the time you chose.

• Internet access rules through Website Access Time Control.
• Overall screen time caps using the Screen Time App.
• App‑specific night blocks with the App Blocker.

Kids might not love it at first, but after a week or two it becomes normal, like brushing teeth.

3. Visibility into what is happening online

Limits are helpful, but so is context. Avosmart’s Reports and Statistics show you:

• Which apps and sites your child uses the most.
• What times of day are the biggest problem windows.
• Trends over days and weeks so you can see if late‑night activity is actually dropping.

For older kids who are active on social platforms, Avosmart’s Social Media Monitoring can help you notice red flags like bullying, dangerous challenges, or strangers messaging your child, especially in the late hours when kids are more vulnerable and less careful.

4. Use tech support to have better conversations

The goal is not to spy on your child forever. The goal is to guide them until they can manage the internet responsibly on their own. Having clear data helps you have calm, specific talks like:

• “I see you are still online at 11 p.m. three nights a week. How are you feeling in the mornings?”
• “Let’s try moving the cut‑off earlier for a month and see if it helps your mood and grades.”

Over time, you can loosen limits as trust grows. Many parents start strict in middle school, then slowly open things up in later teenage years when kids show they can self‑regulate.

One Last Tip Before You Flip The Switch

Tech controls help, but how you introduce them matters just as much. If your child wakes up to find their phone suddenly locked at 9 p.m. with zero warning, you are almost guaranteed a meltdown.

Try this instead:

• Pick a calm moment, not during a fight.
• Explain what you are seeing: “You are exhausted every morning, and I am worried.”
• Share the plan: “From now on, the internet goes off at 9:30 on school nights so your brain can rest.”
• Invite some input: “Do you want the cut‑off at 9:15 or 9:30? Which apps should stay available, like music or reading?”

You are still the parent, so you set the final rules. But giving your child some voice in how things work can reduce resistance and help them feel respected.

If you are tired of wrestling phones and laptops every night, try a clear schedule, a tool like Avosmart to enforce it, and a few honest conversations. Your child may not thank you right away, but their future self, the one who is well‑rested and healthier, probably will.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I block internet access on Android?

Yes, you can. The main options are disabling or limiting the browser through Android settings, using tools like Google Family Link, enforcing restrictions with a mobile device manager or parental control app, and using a DNS or content filter that blocks most sites while allowing only specific apps or services you choose. Apps like Avosmart make this easier by combining these controls in one place.

Is there a way to turn off my internet at night?

In many homes, yes. If your modem or router from your internet provider has built‑in Wi‑Fi, you can usually turn it off or schedule off‑hours. Some have a physical Wi‑Fi button, others let you log in to the router settings and set a night‑time schedule. Just remember that this affects Wi‑Fi only, not mobile data on phones.

Can parents turn off Wi‑Fi at night?

Most modern routers include parental controls that let you pause Wi‑Fi for specific devices or turn off the entire network during certain hours. That means you do not have to unplug anything, you just set a schedule. This works well for younger kids, and you can still keep your own devices online if you set rules per device instead of for the whole network.