mouse jiggler

noun

a device or software program that keeps one’s computer active

What does mouse jiggler mean?

Mouse jiggler refers to a device or software program that keeps a cursor moving on one’s screen, so as to prevent the computer from going into sleep mode.

Examples of mouse jiggler

This undetectable mouse jiggler keeps your screen active even if you’re away from your desk.
—Steve Clark, TechRadar Pro, 29 June 2026

I work from home, and they have Office/Teams set to show you as “away” after three minutes (!) of inactivity. I got a USB mouse jiggler that keeps me from showing “away” by moving the mouse cursor back and forth. I manually turn this on and off.
—@brock_lee, Reddit, 13 May 2023

Remember to plug your mouse jiggler in a separate electrical socket. Do not plug it into the USB on your laptop or your company will know you are using one
—@PaulSkallas, X (formerly Twitter), 13 June 2024

Where does mouse jiggler come from?

Mouse jiggler has been used since at least the late 2000s as a product name for various devices and programs. Originally, mouse jigglers (which simulate one’s mouse being jiggled) were used to avoid the annoyance of getting locked out of one’s computer.

I can’t count the times I’ve been running an antivirus check, downloading a Windows update or defragmenting the hard drive, then walked away for a few minutes only to have the screensaver come on and pause everything or, worse, crash my PC. The Mouse Jiggler will put a stop to that once and for all. It’s a little Flash drive that plugs into your computers USB port and slightly moves the mouse cursor every few seconds, so your computer never goes to sleep.
—The Dominion Post (Wellington, New Zealand), 5 May 2007

Mouse Jiggler is a little free utility that basically does what it says. From time to time, it jiggles your mouse. That’s basically all it does.
—Craig Crossman, The Asheville (North Carolina) Citizen-Times, 18 Sept. 2010

In recent years, and especially since COVID-19 led many people to start working from home, mouse jigglers are used increasingly to prevent company computers from being flagged as “inactive” by employers who install surveillance technology on them to track worker productivity. This has led to something of a mouse jiggler arms race.

Programs that detect “mouse jigglers” intended to simulate computer activity.
—Howard Levitt and Candice Malan, The Windsor (Ontario) Star, 28 May 2026