Software Mouse Jiggler for Mac and Windows

Windows: Mouse Jiggler

Mouse Jiggler by Arkane Systems is free and open source. Its README says it fakes mouse input so the pointer jiggles back and forth, pauses while you use the mouse yourself, and starts again after a full interval without movement. It installs with winget (winget install ArkaneSystems.MouseJiggler); the standard build needs the .NET Desktop runtime.

It has several modes. Normal moves the pointer diagonally; Zen registers movement without moving the visible pointer. The README warns that Zen mode may not work with apps that do their own idle detection, so test it with the app you care about before you rely on it.

Its license restricts use by U.S. government agencies and some government contractors; read it if that could apply to you.

Mac: Jiggler and App Store apps

Jiggler by Stick Software is freeware that periodically wiggles the mouse to keep the Mac awake. You can set it to jiggle only while the Mac is busy or while a chosen app is running, and version 1.10 updates its Zen jiggle for macOS 26 Tahoe.

The Mac App Store also lists paid cursor-mover apps that work the same way. Apps that move the pointer usually need permission under Privacy & Security, Accessibility, and a managed Mac may not let you grant it.

Software, USB or keep-awake: what each does

Software jiggler: free or cheap, nothing to plug in, and it can switch on by schedule or by app. It is a program on your computer, so it may need permission to install, and IT software inventory can list it.

USB jiggler: a small device that reports itself as a mouse, or a turntable that moves your real one. No install and the same on Mac and Windows, but it is one more input device on a managed computer.

Keep-awake tool: caffeinate or Amphetamine on a Mac and Microsoft PowerToys Awake on Windows stop the computer from sleeping but send no input, so the away timers in Slack and Teams still run out.

Where every jiggler stops

All of these need the computer on, awake and unlocked. A locked screen sets Teams to Away whatever the mouse does, as the Teams jiggler guide explains, and on most laptops closing the lid means sleep, which ends the jiggling: see jigglers with the laptop closed.

A jiggler also covers only the computer it runs on. Your phone still shows you away when Slack or Teams is in the background, and a Wi‑Fi or VPN drop takes you offline.

Many workplaces have rules about simulated input or unapproved software. Check yours before you install one; this guide is not advice on getting around those rules.

If you need your hours covered with the laptop closed

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.

It is not a jiggler: nothing runs on your computer, and it covers only Slack, ClickUp and Teams. See how to keep Slack active, the laptop-closed feature, or the side-by-side in mouse jiggler alternative.