Which Mouse Jiggler should you get? Hardware vs Software

The short answer: a Hardware Mouse Jiggler that doesn’t plug into your computer if you work in finance; a software Mouse Jiggler otherwise.

Before I explain why, I’ll first talk about the main differences between hardware mouse jigglers and software mouse jigglers. Then I’ll discuss the pros and cons of each and highlight situations where one is superior to the other. I will also touch on whether or not companies can detect you are using a jiggler. Finally, we’ll make some recommendations on which ones to get in each category. Sounds like a plan? Let’s dive into it.

Hardware Mouse Jiggler

These are usually more expensive than software mouse jigglers (in the $20-$30 range for the best ones) and there are essentially two types of hardware mouse jigglers:

These function like a regular mouse, programmed to move the cursor around. The fancy ones have two modes: one that moves the cursor so slightly it’s hard to see, but still registers as movement from the OS standpoint, keeping you online and active on messaging apps. The second mode moves the cursor randomly on the screen, making it appear to teleport from one place to another. Most often, you can also choose the frequency of the jiggle (every 30 seconds or 60 seconds).

With these devices, you place your mouse on a platform, and generally, a disc underneath will rotate periodically to make the sensor in your mouse think it’s being moved across your desk, thereby moving the cursor on the screen. Alternatively, it can vibrate to make your mouse move. The ones that rotate often provide a smoother cursor movement when the disc doesn’t move too fast, depending on the brand you get. You also have a couple of options to change the frequency (30 seconds, 60 seconds, 120 seconds).

Whatever the type of hardware mouse jiggler, they won’t be able to simulate any clicks, just your mouse moving around. In our experience, some messaging apps require you to have made at least one click in the last X minutes to keep your status as online. The hardware jigglers will fail to meet these requirements. So keep that in mind.

Software Mouse Jiggler

Software mouse jigglers are pieces of software or apps that you install on your computer. They allow you to simulate movements of your cursor, with some offering realistic movements. They also provide frequency options to move every 30 seconds to 2 minutes. The big advantage of software mouse jigglers is their flexibility and the variety of options they offer that hardware solutions cannot.

They can simulate mouse clicks, ensuring that messaging apps, VPNs, or remote connections cannot distinguish them from a real human operating the computer. They can also simulate scrolling, so if your screen is being monitored, it appears as if you are reading a document page (more on that later). Since they are apps, they can understand the layout and size of the screen and reproduce human-like movements.

An app like Mouse Shaker even gives you the option to dim the brightness of your screen to save battery or be more discreet if you have people around, or even stop when your computer is running out of battery. It also gives you options to jiggle for a certain duration.

One of the big advantages of software mouse jigglers is the ease with which you can resume your work. The good ones will automatically detect activity and stop jiggling, but resume jiggling if they detect you are away from your keyboard. With hardware, you’d need to remove the mouse from the jiggler base.

And of course, software jigglers have the advantage of always being on your computer and can be run in any circumstance, making them ideal for remote workers.

Can your company detect you are using a jiggler?

Recently, Wells Fargo apparently fired twelve employees for using a mouse jiggler. The story doesn’t say how they discovered employees were using jigglers or why it even mattered. However, having worked in finance, I know for a fact that companies in the financial world are much more likely to monitor any activity on computers, including private conversations you have on chat with your co-workers. And yes, some might monitor your screen and take screenshots. This is because financial companies are subject to stringent regulations and want to prevent misconduct such as insider trading or other forms of market abuse.

For the rest of the companies, it’s rarer, especially for smaller companies. The reason is that having these tools is an investment, and the value provided is more than questionable. It’s not because an employee is not using a mouse jiggler that they are performing well. Equally, it’s not because an employee is using a mouse jiggler that they are performing poorly. At the end of the day, what matters most to your employer should be the work you produce, and companies would rather invest money and energy in monitoring performance as a whole.

The admin team might have the possibility to run an analysis on what’s plugged into your computer and could detect the name of a suspicious device. For example, when your regular mouse is plugged in, you might see something like this:

Hardware jigglers that plug into your computer will show a different company brand and number that could reveal their nature. So if you choose a hardware jiggler that plugs into your computer because you work in finance, make sure its ID does not give away that it’s a jiggler, or just use one that doesn’t plug into it. Otherwise, you’ll lose the main benefit of the hardware jiggler.

Of course, companies could also detect the apps on your computer and notice that you have installed a mouse jiggler:

Again, it depends on your company’s policies and culture. Ideally, they focus on performance, and whether or not you take breaks every 10 minutes to pet your dog or eat a snack to stay productive, nobody should care.

Pros and Cons of Each

• Cannot be detected by running an analysis of your computer (only mechanical ones).

Pros of Software Mouse Jigglers

• Can simulate more natural movements of the cursor.
• Offer lots of different options (clicking, scrolling, etc.).
• Inexpensive.
• Always available, wherever you work, ideal for 100% remote folks.

• Can still be detected by monitoring your screen as the movement of the cursor is not always smooth.
• Need to remove your mouse in and out of the device.
• Some are big and take up more space on your desk, making them harder to take on the go.
• Limited options (no clicking, no battery saving, no natural movements, etc.).

• Can be detected by running a software analysis on the computer.
• Need permissions to install an app on your computer.

Ok cool, but why would I use a Mouse Jiggler in the first place?

Some say that jigglers are unethical and wrong for deceiving a company into thinking you are working. But clearly, no mouse jiggler, hardware or software, will do your work for you—not even ChatGPT can do that. 

I see it as an antidote to micromanaging managers or judgmental people in a remote environment. I’ve worked with managers who would freak out if my status on Teams was away for more than 5 minutes. I think, in their mind, they thought I was just watching a show on Netflix or something else.

What I love about mouse jigglers is that they remove the bias people tend to have in a remote environment. I can then be judged on the value I produce for the team and how responsive I am.

Another massive advantage of jigglers is preventing your computer from going to sleep. If you work with a VPN, a virtual session using Citrix, or just have your laptop configured to go to sleep after 5 minutes, you know what I’m talking about. I know what you’re saying: “But keeping your session active while you’re not in front of your computer is a major security risk!” Let’s face it, if your computer is sitting at home on your desk, it’s unlikely your cat will take advantage of you being away and the jiggler being on to inject malicious code into your session. And if you’re in a public place? It’s unlikely you’d leave your laptop unattended anyway. So the Mouse Jiggler saves me the hassle of having to reconnect to all sessions every now and then.

Which one should I get?

For hardware jigglers, we recommend this MEKKAS one (not even an affiliate link). It’s discreet, doesn’t take up too much space, and moves the cursor efficiently.

For software, we highly recommend Mouse Shaker. It’s only available on macOS but is the mouse jiggler app packed with the most features out there.