How to block YouTube at night on your iPhone

If you want to block YouTube at night, you are fighting one specific feature more than any other: autoplay. YouTube says that when autoplay is on, another related video will be played automatically after a video ends.¹ You do not have to decide to keep watching. You have to decide to stop.

A night block closes that loop. YouTube will not open between a set evening time and a set morning time, no matter what the next video is.

How to block YouTube at night on iPhone

Apple renamed these settings in iOS 27, so use the section that matches your phone.

iOS 27: Screen Time Schedule

In iOS 27, Screen Time uses Schedules for when you can use apps and Time Allowances for how long.²

1. Open Settings, then tap Screen Time.
2. Tap Screen Time Schedule, then turn on Schedule.²
3. Tap Add Schedule, tap the days of the week you want, then confirm.
4. Tap the Time Window, rename it to something like Night, then set the start and stop times.²
5. Choose which Time Allowance categories stay available in that window, and leave Entertainment out of it.²
6. Tap Always Allowed so calls and anything you genuinely need still work.²

Apple notes that Schedules and Time Allowances need iOS 27 or later on all your Apple devices.²

iOS 26: Downtime and App Limits

On iOS 26, Downtime handles the schedule and App Limits handle daily caps.³

1. Open Settings, tap Screen Time, then tap App & Website Activity and turn it on if it is off.
2. Tap Downtime, then tap Scheduled.
3. Choose Every Day or Customize Days, then set your start and end times.³
4. Go back into Downtime and turn on Block at Downtime.³

Remember that YouTube also runs in Safari. Blocking the app alone leaves the website open, so block the site too. Our guide to using Downtime on iPhone covers that step.

YouTube autoplay and why it matters in bed

Autoplay is the reason a short session stretches. YouTube says it stops automatically if you have been inactive for 30 minutes on a mobile network, and after four hours on Wi Fi.¹ Most bedrooms are on Wi Fi. If you doze off, the queue can keep running for hours.

To turn it off on iPhone: tap your profile picture, tap Settings, tap Autoplay, then switch autoplay off.¹ YouTube says autoplay is turned off by default for users aged 13 to 17, and adults can turn it on or off at any time.¹

Turning autoplay off removes the conveyor belt. It does not stop you choosing the next video yourself, which is why it is a good first step rather than a fix.

What does YouTube's bedtime reminder do?

YouTube has a night setting of its own. On iPhone, tap your profile picture, tap Settings, tap General, then use the switch next to Remind me when it is bedtime. Turn it on and pick a start and end time, then tap OK.⁴

Two details worth knowing. You can choose Wait until I finish video, so the reminder holds off until your current video ends.⁴ And when the reminder appears, you can dismiss it by tapping in the top right, or tap Remind Me Again to be prompted again in 15 minutes.⁴

YouTube says the bedtime reminder is on by default for users aged 13 to 17, and off by default for users aged 18 or over.⁴ If you are an adult, nothing is protecting your bedtime unless you switch it on.

It is still only a reminder. It interrupts a video. It does not close the app, and it will not stop you opening YouTube again two minutes later.

How much YouTube are we watching at night?

Ofcom reports that time on YouTube in the UK is increasing, reaching an average of 51 minutes a day, not including the TV set, and that YouTube reaches 94 percent of UK adults.⁵ Among children aged 8 to 14, Ofcom found that across YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok and WhatsApp, 15 to 24 percent of the time spent for that age group happens between 9pm and 5am.⁵

Late is where the watching goes. That is the window worth defending.

Why a night block beats a daily limit

In a study of 45,202 Norwegian university students aged 18 to 28, each extra hour of screen use after going to bed was linked to 59 percent higher odds of reporting insomnia symptoms and to 24 minutes less sleep. The link was not significantly different for social media than for other screen activities, so it is the time in bed that matters, not only which app you are in.⁶

The phone is usually on the nightstand. In an online survey of 2,005 US adults for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine in March 2023, 87 percent said they regularly sleep with their phone in their bedroom.⁷ The NHS suggests trying not to use phones, tablets or computers for an hour before bed.⁸

Firm limits also beat gentle ones. In the randomised experiment behind the paper Digital Addiction, the authors report that allowing people to set limits on their future screen time substantially reduces use, and estimate that self control problems account for 31 percent of social media use.⁹

Do all three if you can: autoplay off, reminder on, block underneath. For the habit itself, see how to stop scrolling in bed.

Where SETL fits

SETL is an iPhone app blocker built bedtime first, on Apple's Screen Time framework. You set your bedtime once and your chosen apps, YouTube included, are blocked automatically every night. Apple gives SETL private tokens, so SETL never learns which apps you picked and your Screen Time data stays on the phone. If the late video is your weak spot, that is what SETL Sleep is for.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Speak to your doctor about ongoing sleep, attention or mental health concerns.