Mouse Jiggler for Windows: Install, Modes, and Does It Keep Slack Active

The most used mouse jiggler for Windows is Mouse Jiggler by Arkane Systems, a free, open-source app on GitHub. Install it with winget install ArkaneSystems.MouseJiggler, or download the mainline zip (needs the .NET 10 Desktop runtime) or the portable zip (no .NET needed) from the releases page; both run without admin rights. Open it, tick Jiggling?, and it moves the pointer every 60 seconds by default, pausing whenever you move the mouse yourself. It keeps Windows from counting you idle, so the screen saver and sleep stay off and Microsoft Teams stays green. It keeps the Slack desktop app green too, wherever the pointer sits, because that app reads the same idle time (Slack desktop 4.52.178 code, checked 7 Oct 2026). To stay green with the PC asleep, locked or off, Slack Green keeps you active from a server, free for 7 days with no card.

The project's own README is blunt about one more thing: "Mouse Jiggler is easily detectable by any decent monitoring software." How a jiggler resets the idle timer, and the three types, is in what is a mouse jiggler.

How to install Mouse Jiggler on Windows

The README asks you to use the portable build only if you cannot install .NET, because it is far larger. Arm64 builds are available for both.

Mouse Jiggler keeps the Slack desktop app active only while the PC is awake and unlocked. A server-side tool keeps your Slack dot green with no input, even while the laptop sleeps or the lid is closed.

How to use it

• Run MouseJiggle.exe.
• Tick Jiggling? to start, untick to stop.
• Tick Settings... to choose the mode, the interval, the distance, and a random timer.
• Click the down arrow to minimise it to the notification area.

Jiggling pauses when you move the mouse and resumes after one full interval without movement, so you can keep working. To choose the interval and test the setup before you walk away, see how to use a mouse jiggler.

Command-line flags

MouseJiggler -j -m -s 60 -o Normal

Flag	Meaning
-j	Start jiggling at once
-m	Start minimised
-s <seconds>	Jiggle interval (default 60)
-o <mode>	Normal, Zen, Circle or Linear
-r	Random interval
-d <n>	Distance multiplier

To start it with Windows, the README points to the Startup folder or Task Scheduler; the app has no autorun option.

Mouse Jiggler modes, and what they do for Slack and Teams

• • Normal, Circle, Linear move the pointer. Windows, Teams and the Slack desktop app all see that input (Slack desktop 4.52.178 code, checked 7 Oct 2026).
• • Zen fakes input without moving the pointer. The README notes it may not work with apps that do their own idle detection. The Slack desktop app reads the Windows idle time, which Zen input resets, so it should count; we have not timed it.

Teams reads activity on the whole computer, so any mode keeps it green; see how long before Teams shows you as Away. For Slack the details are in a server-side presence tool vs a mouse jiggler and how long does Slack stay active.

Can IT detect Mouse Jiggler?

Yes, and the author says so: the README warns it is "not a tool for sneaking past your IT department" and is easily detectable by monitoring software. A running app shows up in process lists, and software input on Windows carries an "injected" flag monitoring agents can read. How each kind of jiggler is found is in can a mouse jiggler be detected, and the policy side in is it illegal to use a mouse jiggler.

Alternatives on Windows

• • Keep the PC awake only: PowerToys Awake or presentation mode; see does PowerToys Awake keep Slack active and keep a work computer awake without admin rights.
• • A USB or mechanical jiggler instead of an app: the best mouse jiggler compares every type by price and what IT can see.
• • Move Mouse, a jiggler with schedules and scripts: free on the Microsoft Store; settings and download notes are in the Move Mouse app.
• • Keep your Slack dot green without anything on the PC: a server-side tool keeps you active while the computer is off, asleep, locked or closed, with no software or hardware on the computer. Windows-specific rules are in keep Slack active on Windows.

FAQ

Where do I download Mouse Jiggler for Windows?

From the arkane-systems/mousejiggler releases page on GitHub, or with winget install ArkaneSystems.MouseJiggler.

Does Mouse Jiggler need admin rights?

Not the zip builds. The mainline zip needs the .NET 10 Desktop runtime installed; the portable zip does not.

Does Mouse Jiggler keep Teams active?

Yes. Teams counts input anywhere on the computer.

Does Mouse Jiggler keep Slack active?

Yes for the Slack desktop app, while the screen is unlocked. Zen mode, which jiggles without moving the pointer, should work too, because it still resets the Windows idle time the app reads; we have not timed it.

Is there a mouse jiggler built into Windows?

No. Windows has power settings and presentation mode, which stop sleep but create no input.