Mouse jiggler

A mouse jiggler is software or hardware used to simulate or provide movement of a computer mouse.^[1][2] In all cases, it prevents sleep mode, standby mode or the screensaver from activating. Mouse jigglers are also known as mouse movers.^[3]

A mechanical mouse jiggler for an Apple mouse.

Software

Software driven mouse movers install a program on the user's machine that also moves the mouse cursor across the screen.^[4] The computer will generally be able to detect that it is installed and running.

Hardware

Hardware mouse jigglers come in two general categories: devices which plug into a computer (usually via a USB port) and register as a mouse, then provide digital signals which simulate mouse movement, and devices which do not attach to a computer, but interact with an existing mouse, either physically moving it around or providing falsified input to its sensors. The first category can generally be detected and identified by the computer. The second category is not able to be identified as a separate device by the computer, although extremely specialist software (or human monitoring) may be able to detect that the mouse is being moved in patterns (or randomly) which do not conform to expected human interactions with screen elements.

Recent demand for mouse jigglers is being driven by employers or line managers indirectly monitoring their employees who are remote workers as part of productivity theater.^[5]

See also

• Mouse shuffle