Guide
USB vs software vs online mouse jiggler
The market splits into three products that all get called a mouse jiggler. They do not solve the same job. Pick from screen-wake, real cursor movement, and whether you can install software.
USB mouse jiggler
A dongle enumerates as a mouse and emits tiny moves. Strengths: works on locked-down Windows images, no admin, no browser quirks. Weaknesses: occupies a port, can be lost, may be flagged by hardware inventory, and still needs a policy conversation at work.
Software mouse jiggler
A Mac menu-bar app or a Windows tray app moves the real pointer or calls an OS “stay awake” API. Strengths: no extra hardware, interval control, start at login. Weaknesses: install and permissions. On Mac, Accessibility is required for cursor nudges. TinyNudge for Mac is this category.
Online mouse jiggler
A website uses Wake Lock (and sometimes silent audio or picture-in-picture). Strengths: zero install, works on a Chromebook, useful on a machine where you cannot add apps. Weakness: it cannot move the system cursor, so desktop presence apps may still go idle. TinyNudge’s homepage tool is this category.
Quick chooser
- Reading or presenting, any OS, no install → online mouse jiggler.
- Personal Mac, desktop Slack or Teams idle → Mac app.
- Managed Windows PC, USB allowed → hardware jiggler.
More definitions sit in what is a mouse jiggler. Presence details sit in Slack and Teams status.