What a jiggler does
Hardware jigglers are USB devices that report tiny mouse movements; software jigglers are apps that do the same from inside the operating system. Either way, the computer stays awake and every app on it sees activity, so the away timers in Slack and Teams never run out.
That is also the limitation: the computer must be on, awake and online. Closing the lid, a sleep timer or a dropped VPN ends it. A keep-awake tool such as caffeinate shares that limit and does not reset the away timers at all.
Can Teams detect a mouse jiggler?
Teams itself reads your computer’s idle state, and a jiggler keeps that state active, so Teams simply shows you as Available. We know of no jiggler detector inside Teams.
What can notice a jiggler is your organization’s device management. A software jiggler is a running program and a hardware jiggler is a USB input device; managed computers can list both, and some organizations have rules about simulated input. Check your workplace policy before using one; this guide is not advice on avoiding it.
Comparison
Keeping an app open: free, needs the computer on, ends when it sleeps.
Hardware or software jiggler: a one-time cost, and it covers every app on that computer, including apps OnlineHours does not support. It needs the computer on and unlocked, and may conflict with workplace policy.
Server-based schedule (OnlineHours): runs from our servers during the hours you choose, laptop closed, with nothing running on your computer; covers only Slack, ClickUp and Teams, on a subscription; adds an optional timed Slack status; stops outside your hours.
How the alternative works
OnlineHours keeps Slack, ClickUp and Microsoft Teams online during the hours you choose, from its own servers, so your laptop can be closed. Slack and ClickUp connect with a private code from the free OnlineHours Connector; Teams connects through the Teams Connector, recommended for Teams in your browser, or Microsoft sign-in for work accounts. Plans start at $3.49 a month for Slack and $3.99 for Teams or ClickUp, $29.99 a year for one app, or $9.99 a month for all three, with a 7-day trial for one app and no card.
For setup, see how to keep Slack active, keep Teams Available or stay online in ClickUp. Other server-based services for Slack are compared in apps that keep Slack active.
Your status should reflect when you are working and reachable. Use schedules for agreed hours, focused work away from the keyboard and different time zones.
Keep your status on your hours, laptop closed
OnlineHours sets Slack, Teams or ClickUp to online from its servers during the hours you choose, and stops outside them.
A jiggler costs once and covers every app on that computer. OnlineHours needs nothing running locally but covers only Slack, Teams and ClickUp, on a subscription.
One app, no card. Nothing is charged when it ends.
Common questions
Does a mouse jiggler work with the laptop closed?
No. It needs the computer running and awake.
Is OnlineHours a mouse jiggler?
No. It does not touch your computer. It keeps a connection to your work app from its own servers during your hours.