Search "mouse jiggler" and you'll find two very different products: little physical gadgets and lightweight apps. They aim for the same result — keep your computer active — but they get there in opposite ways.
Hardware jigglers
These are USB dongles or motorised cradles that physically nudge your mouse. Their pitch is that they're "undetectable by IT" because they don't run software. The reality: they cost money, take up a port or desk space, can't be scheduled, and a motorised cradle wandering your mouse across the desk is anything but subtle.
Software jigglers
A software jiggler moves the cursor a pixel or two at a randomised interval, then puts it back. No hardware, no ports, nothing on your desk. The good ones use real operating-system cursor events — the same kind your hand produces — so there's no fake activity to flag.
Which should you pick?
If you want something you set once and forget, software wins on cost, control, and convenience. Virtual Mouse Jiggler runs quietly in your menu bar or tray, lets you pick a cadence, and works across Mac, Windows, and Chrome on a single subscription.