Every few months someone posts in a remote work subreddit asking for a free mouse jiggler. The replies are always the same: a mix of outdated desktop apps, USB hardware suggestions, and sketchy downloads. Most of them either don't work with modern monitoring setups or come with risks that aren't obvious upfront.
We looked at every option available in 2026, tested which ones actually keep Slack and Teams green, and put together an honest comparison.
The categories of options
Desktop apps (Windows)
Tools like MouseJiggler, Caffeine for Windows, and Move Mouse are lightweight executables that move the system cursor on a schedule. They work by calling Windows API functions to simulate mouse input.
The problem: They show up as running processes in Task Manager with names that are difficult to disguise. Enterprise monitoring software flags unfamiliar background processes. If your company runs ActivTrak or a similar tool, these will appear in process logs. Several employees have been questioned or disciplined after IT noticed an unfamiliar process called "MouseJiggler.exe" running all day.
They also require installation — which on a managed machine may require IT approval or will trigger an alert.
Desktop apps (Mac)
Caffeine (the macOS app), Lungo, and Amphetamine are the main options. These prevent display sleep by holding a Power Management assertion — the same mechanism your computer uses when playing a video. They're lightweight and unobtrusive.
The problem: Preventing display sleep is not the same as generating mouse activity. Slack and Teams don't read the display sleep state — they read the HID idle timer. An app that prevents your screen from sleeping does not prevent your Slack status from going Away. These tools solve a different problem than the one most people have.
Browser extensions
Chrome extensions that generate activity inside the browser are the most compatible approach. Because they run inside Chrome — an app that's on every company whitelist — they don't add any unusual processes, don't appear in device inventories, and don't require installation approval.
The specific mechanism matters. An extension that only keeps the browser tab active (prevents tab throttling) won't necessarily keep your OS idle timer from firing. An extension that dispatches real pointermove events will, because those events propagate up to the OS and reset the HID idle counter.
Physical USB jigglers
Hardware devices that plug in via USB and present as a mouse. They work in the sense that they do move the cursor. But they're the highest-risk option: USB device inventory is logged by almost every enterprise IT system, they produce perfectly regular movement patterns, and the discovery of a hardware jiggler has led to immediate termination at multiple companies. Not recommended.
Comparison
| Option | Keeps Slack/Teams green | Detectable by IT | Works on managed machines |
|---|---|---|---|
| MouseJiggler.exe (Windows) | Yes | High risk — shows in process list | Often blocked |
| Caffeine / Amphetamine (Mac) | No — prevents sleep only | Low | Yes |
| USB physical jiggler | Yes | Very high — USB logs | Yes, but risky |
| Chrome extension (pointer events) | Yes | Low — Chrome is whitelisted | Yes |
What "free" costs you in reliability
Free desktop tools aren't maintained to keep up with OS changes. Several popular Windows jiggler apps stopped working correctly after Windows 11 updates changed how synthetic input is handled in certain enterprise security configurations. The developers moved on; the apps didn't.
Free browser extensions are hit or miss. Some use techniques that keep a browser tab "awake" without actually generating pointer events. Others inject JavaScript that only fires while the tab is focused. Neither keeps your status green when you switch windows to do actual work.
What to look for in a jiggler that actually works
The extension needs to dispatch real PointerEvent or MouseEvent objects — specifically pointermove or mousemove events — not just prevent tab throttling. These events must propagate to the browser's event system, which then signals the OS that genuine user input occurred.
You can verify this is working: open Activity Monitor on Mac or Task Manager on Windows, find the HID idle timer (or use a tool that displays it), and confirm it resets every few seconds while the extension is active.
The bottom line
If you're on a personal machine and just need to prevent display sleep, Caffeine or Lungo works fine. If you need to actually keep Slack, Teams, or ClickUp green — especially on a managed corporate laptop — a Chrome extension that generates real pointer events is the only approach that works reliably without risk.