Yes, you can trade after hours on Robinhood, but only certain securities and only during specific windows

Robinhood lets you trade stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) during extended hours, which means before the regular market opens and after it closes. The regular market runs 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time. Extended hours trading on Robinhood runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern (evening session) and 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern (morning session).

You cannot trade options, cryptocurrencies, or fractional shares during extended hours. Only whole shares of stocks and ETFs are available. The volume of trades is much lower after hours, which means prices can move more sharply and it may take longer to fill your order — or your order might not fill at all.

Key Takeaways

  • Extended hours trading on Robinhood runs 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. (morning) and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. (evening) Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
  • Only stocks and ETFs trade during extended hours; options, cryptocurrencies, and fractional shares are not available.
  • After-hours prices can swing more than regular-hours prices because fewer traders are active and volume is lower.
  • Your order may take longer to fill or may not fill at all during extended hours, even if you set a limit price.

How to place an after-hours trade on Robinhood

Open the Robinhood app or website and search for the stock or ETF you want to trade. Tap or click the trade button. Before you submit the order, look for a dropdown menu or toggle that says "Market Hours" or similar — this is where you switch to extended hours. Select the extended hours option, then place your order as you normally would.

The order will sit in the extended hours session until it fills or until that session ends. If it does not fill by 8 p.m. (evening) or 9:30 a.m. (morning), it will carry over to the next regular market session unless you cancel it. You can set a limit price to control the price you pay or receive, but market orders (orders that fill at any available price) are riskier after hours because prices move faster and fewer buyers or sellers may be waiting.

Why after-hours prices are different from regular-hours prices

After-hours trading involves far fewer traders and much lower volume than the regular market. When fewer people are trading, the bid-ask spread — the gap between what buyers will pay and what sellers will accept — widens. A stock might trade at $50 during the day but show a bid of $49.50 and an ask of $50.75 after hours, even if nothing about the company changed.

News released after the market closes (like earnings reports or executive announcements) can cause sharp price moves in the after-hours session because traders are reacting to new information with fewer counterparties available. This volatility can work for you or against you depending on which direction you are trading and how quickly you act.

Risks specific to after-hours trading

Your order may not fill at all, even if you think you set a reasonable price. If you place a limit order to buy 100 shares at $50 after hours and only 20 shares trade at that price before the session ends, you will own 20 shares and the rest of your order will roll into the next regular session. This can leave you in an unintended position.

Wide spreads mean you may pay more to buy or receive less to sell than you would during regular hours. A $0.50 spread on a $50 stock is a 1% cost just to enter and exit the trade. Volatility is higher, so the price can move against you faster. And because volume is lower, large orders can move the price significantly — your own order might move the price against you if you are trying to buy or sell a substantial number of shares.

When after-hours trading makes sense

After-hours trading is most useful if you want to react to news that breaks after the market closes. If a company reports earnings after 4 p.m. and you want to buy or sell before the next morning's open, extended hours let you do that. You avoid the risk of a gap opening — a situation where the stock opens the next day at a price far from where it closed, leaving you unable to enter or exit at the price you expected.

After-hours trading also makes sense if you have a schedule that does not allow you to trade during regular hours. Some traders use the morning session (7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.) to position themselves before the regular market opens, or the evening session (4 p.m. to 8 p.m.) to adjust positions after the close.

Limitations and restrictions on Robinhood's extended hours

Robinhood's extended hours window is shorter than some other brokers offer. Some firms allow trading as early as 4 a.m. or as late as 8 p.m., but Robinhood's window is fixed. You also cannot use margin (borrowed money) to trade after hours on Robinhood — you must have cash in your account to cover the full purchase price.

Certain stocks, especially very small or illiquid companies, may not have any after-hours trading available even though Robinhood offers the feature. If a stock has no after-hours volume, your order will not fill no matter what price you offer. You can check whether a stock trades after hours by looking at the price chart — if there is no data for the extended hours window, that stock is not trading then.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I place a market order after hours on Robinhood?

Yes, but market orders after hours are risky because the price can move sharply between the time you place the order and the time it fills. Use a limit order instead — it guarantees the price you pay or receive, though it may not fill if no one is willing to trade at that price.

What happens to my after-hours order if it does not fill before the session ends?

The order carries over to the next regular market session (9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.) unless you cancel it. If you do not want it to roll over, you must manually cancel it before the extended hours session ends.

Can I trade options or cryptocurrencies after hours on Robinhood?

No. Extended hours trading on Robinhood is limited to whole shares of stocks and ETFs. Options and cryptocurrencies are not available during extended hours sessions.

Do I need a minimum account balance to trade after hours?

Robinhood does not publish a specific minimum for after-hours trading, but you must have enough cash in your account to cover the full purchase price — you cannot use margin. Check your available cash balance before placing an after-hours order.

Why is the bid-ask spread so wide after hours?

Lower trading volume after hours means fewer buyers and sellers are active. Market makers and traders widen their spreads to protect themselves against sudden price moves when liquidity is thin. The wider spread is the cost of trading when fewer people are participating.