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Pi-hole can automatically switch DNS blocking on and off, but it does not provide a recurring bedtime schedule by itself—and DNS filtering is not a guaranteed internet kill switch. To automate a nightly rule, pair Pi-hole with an external scheduler such as Home Assistant, then choose whether the rule should affect every device using Pi-hole or only selected clients.
What Pi-hole’s bedtime rule actually does
Pi-hole filters DNS requests: it can block a domain from resolving for a device that uses Pi-hole as its DNS server. Its blocking modes can return a NULL response, such as 0.0.0.0 or ::, for blocked queries. That is different from disconnecting a device from the network. It does not, by itself, guarantee that all apps, services, or other forms of connectivity stop working.
The rule only reaches devices whose DNS requests go through Pi-hole. A device configured to use another DNS resolver, a VPN, cellular data, or another network may not be subject to the intended restriction. If the requirement is to cut off network access rather than filter DNS, use router-level access controls as a separate approach.
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| Approach | Who it affects | How it is controlled |
|---|---|---|
| Global blocking | All clients relying on Pi-hole | Pi-hole command line or API |
| Client/group rules | Selected clients associated with relevant groups and rules | Pi-hole Group Management |
Global blocking is simpler when the bedtime rule should apply to every client using Pi-hole. For a child’s tablet or another selected device, use client and group management instead of switching blocking off for the whole network. Pi-hole groups associate clients with blocking rules, so check group membership and rule relationships carefully before relying on a per-device restriction.
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Prepare Pi-hole and route devices through it
- Install Pi-hole on a supported host. Raspberry Pi OS is among the supported operating systems, but Raspberry Pi hardware is not required. Check the official Prerequisites for supported platforms and architectures. Pi-hole’s documentation says it needs a static IP address; a DHCP reservation is also suitable.
- Point home devices to Pi-hole for DNS. In your router’s DHCP settings, set Pi-hole’s IP address as the DNS server distributed to clients. See Pi-hole’s Post-Install instructions for router and device setup.
- Use Pi-hole’s DHCP server only if needed. If your router cannot set the DNS server, Pi-hole can provide DHCP instead. Disable the router’s DHCP service before enabling Pi-hole’s DHCP service to avoid having two DHCP servers assigning network settings.
- Use device-level DNS settings as a fallback. You can set DNS on individual devices where router configuration is unavailable, but that requires configuring each device and does not automatically cover others.
Test a one-time blocking change from the command line
Pi-hole documents pihole disable 5m to disable blocking for five minutes and pihole enable to turn blocking back on. These are useful for checking the control or taking a temporary break; the timed disable is not a recurring bedtime schedule.
Run the commands on the Pi-hole host. For a global rule, verify that blocking changes as expected, then re-enable it. Do not treat this short test as proof that every device is using Pi-hole or that DNS filtering prevents all access.
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Make the rule recur with an external automation
A recurring clock schedule needs something outside Pi-hole to trigger the change. Pi-hole’s official Home Assistant guide demonstrates authenticated API calls and automations that set blocking to false or true. You need a running Home Assistant instance as well as Pi-hole; Home Assistant is an example, not a requirement that Pi-hole itself imposes.
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- Follow the official integration guide. Configure the authenticated API scripts described there to switch Pi-hole blocking off and on.
- Create two scheduled actions. Set one automation to apply the desired blocking state at bedtime and another to restore the daytime state. Use the actual times and timezone you intend; the guide’s example is a pattern, not a schedule tailored to your household.
- Check how state changes are handled. The guide’s sample state-switch automations do not reconcile changes made through other controls. If you also change blocking from Pi-hole’s interface, command line, or another automation, confirm that your schedule will not leave the system in an unexpected state.
- Test the scheduled behavior on the intended clients. Confirm which DNS server a device is actually using and verify the rule on that device at the scheduled time. This helps catch devices using another resolver or a separate connection.
Keep the limits and failure points in view
- DNS routing matters: Devices that do not send DNS requests through Pi-hole may evade its DNS filtering.
- Connectivity is not the same as domain resolution: Pi-hole’s blocking responses concern DNS lookups, not a universal shutdown of network traffic.
- The automation must run: If the Pi-hole host or the external scheduler is powered down or unavailable, the scheduled change may not happen.
- Scope must match the goal: A global switch can affect every client relying on Pi-hole; group-based controls are for selected clients.
For additional installation and management context, see Pi-hole’s Getting Started documentation.
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