The COVID-19 pandemic drastically altered urban mobility worldwide. This study investigates these changes in Jakarta City, Indonesia, using Night Time Light (NTL) data from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) spanning 2019–2023, covering pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic periods. Utilizing a clockboard zoning system within QGIS, we analyze NTL intensity variations across different zones of Jakarta to identify shifts in activity levels corresponding to the implementation and subsequent easing of social restrictions (PSBB and PPKM). This analysis aims to provide a deeper understanding of the pandemic’s impact on urban dynamics and inform future urban planning and resilience strategies. Our analysis reveals a significant decrease in average and median NTL intensity during 2020 and 2021, followed by a resurgence in 2022 and 2023, particularly in the southern and northwestern zones corresponding to the Central Business District (CBD) and surrounding areas. This pattern reflects the impact of the pandemic and subsequent recovery on urban mobility within Jakarta. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025.