Mouse jiggler for Mac: how they work and what to look for

A mouse jiggler is a small app that makes your Mac look like someone is using it. People use them to stop the screen from locking during a long read, or to keep Teams and Slack from marking them Away. Here's how they work on macOS, what separates a good one from an annoying one, and how the popular options compare.

How software jigglers generate input

A software jiggler posts synthetic input events to macOS: a tiny pointer move, a key press, or a click. macOS treats those like real input, which resets its idle timer. For example, AlwaysJiggle describes its standard mode as nudging the cursor 2 pixels and immediately returning it, "detected by macOS as user activity" [5]. Shake It On says it generates "real cursor input events" [7]. GreenLight moves the pointer over the Teams window and back, then taps Shift [9].

Input type matters. A pointer move or a Shift tap is harmless in almost any app; a click can land on something. Green Dotter handles this by clicking in a "safe area" you choose [6].

Why they need Accessibility permission

macOS won't let an app control your pointer or keyboard until you allow it. You turn this on in Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility, then switch the app on in the list [4]. You can switch it off there at any time [4].

AlwaysJiggle states "all three modes require Accessibility permission" [5]. Green Dotter uses Accessibility on Mac "so it can perform clicks" [6]. GreenLight also asks for Accessibility, plus permission to control System Events for Teams [9]. Shake It On's pages we read didn't state which permissions it needs.

Only grant it to apps you trust.

Idle-only vs. constant

This is the biggest day-to-day difference between jigglers.

• Constant jigglers move the pointer on a timer whether you're using the Mac or not. If you're working when it fires, you'll see the cursor twitch.
• Idle-only jigglers wait until you stop using the computer, then step in. While you type or move the mouse, they do nothing.

Idle-only is usually what you want for presence. Teams marks you Away after more than five minutes of desktop inactivity [1], and Slack after 10 minutes [3]. So there's no reason for a tool to touch your pointer while you're actively working.

Scheduling

A jiggler running 24/7 keeps you green at 2 a.m. and wastes power, so look for a schedule. AlwaysJiggle has a Work Schedule with active days and time windows [5]. Shake It On lets you "schedule by day & time" [7]. Green Dotter offers stop conditions: after a number of clicks, after a set number of minutes, or at a set time [6]. GreenLight has a Scheduled mode for set hours and days [9].

Battery and screen saver effects

On a Mac, the screen saver and display-off timers are based on inactivity. In Lock Screen settings, you choose how long the Mac can be inactive on battery or power adapter before the display turns off, and you can require a password after that happens [8]. Since a jiggler's input counts as activity, a running jiggler can keep your display on and your Mac from locking. That uses more battery, and an unlocked, unattended Mac is a security risk.

Some tools address this directly. AlwaysJiggle's Smart Pausing pauses on battery or when the screen is locked [5], and Shake It On "automatically pauses on battery, when the screen locks" [7]. A schedule helps too.

A neutral comparison

Facts below come from each product's own site or store listing.

Keep-awake apps are not the same thing

Apps like Amphetamine and the built-in caffeinate command prevent sleep. That's a different job from keeping Teams or Slack green.

Why keeping awake isn't enough for Teams. Microsoft documents two separate triggers: you go Away when you're inactive for a few minutes or lock the computer, and Offline when the computer sleeps [1]. Preventing sleep stops the Offline change, but nothing in Microsoft's documentation says it stops the inactivity-based Away. Slack is similar: it sets you away after 10 minutes of inactivity, not when your Mac sleeps [3].

caffeinate. With no flags, it "creates an assertion to prevent idle sleep" [10]. That keeps the Mac awake but doesn't create input. There is a -u flag that "declare[s] that user is active" and turns the display on [10]. Neither Microsoft nor Slack says whether Teams or Slack treat that as activity, so don't count on it without testing.

Amphetamine. Its core job is to keep "your Mac, and optionally its display(s), awake" [11]. Its default keep-awake session doesn't simulate input. However, it's not strictly keep-awake only: its App Store listing includes an optional "Move the mouse cursor periodically" feature, added as moving the cursor "after a period of inactivity" [11]. With that turned on, it behaves more like a jiggler. Amphetamine's listing doesn't make any claims about Teams or Slack status.

In short: keeping your Mac awake doesn't by itself keep you Available.

Before you install one

Check whether your employer has rules about this. Some workplaces have policies about presence-status tools, and it depends on where you work. Also consider the built-in options first: Teams lets you set a status with a duration [2], which is sometimes all you need.

If you want an idle-only option with a schedule, GreenLight is free for Mac and Windows and doesn't collect data or connect to the internet [9].

Sources

1. Microsoft Learn, "User presence in Teams": https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/presence-admins ; and "The correct presence status isn't reflected in Teams": https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/microsoftteams/teams-im-presence/presence-not-show-actual-status
2. Microsoft Support, "Change your status in Microsoft Teams": https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/teams/notifications-settings/change-your-status-in-microsoft-teams
3. Slack Help Center, "Set your Slack status and availability": https://slack.com/help/articles/201864558-Set-your-Slack-status-and-availability
4. Apple Support, "Allow accessibility apps to access your Mac": https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/allow-accessibility-apps-to-access-your-mac-mh43185/mac
5. AlwaysJiggle: https://alwaysjiggle.cesar.dev.br/
6. Green Dotter: https://green-dotter.com/
7. Shake It On: https://shakeiton.app/
8. Apple Support, "Change Lock Screen settings on Mac": https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/change-lock-screen-settings-mh11784/mac
9. GreenLight: https://greenlight.pricepilot.cloud
10. caffeinate(8) manual page (Apple man page, mirrored): https://keith.github.io/xcode-man-pages/caffeinate.8.html
11. Amphetamine on the Mac App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/amphetamine/id937984704?mt=12