Move Mouse, Free Download for Windows
The original open-source mouse mover for Windows. Simulates cursor activity, clicks, keystrokes, and PowerShell scripts to keep your PC active. Trusted by remote workers, IT pros, gamers, and anyone tired of Slack flipping their dot to Away.
Move Mouse 4.20.0
Released April 2026 by Steve Williams, fetched directly from the official sw3103/movemouse GitHub release
Direct from GitHub. SHA-verified release artifact, signed by the project maintainer.
The short version. Move Mouse 4.20.0 is a 2.0 MB open-source Windows app that simulates cursor movement, clicks, keystrokes, and PowerShell scripts on a configurable schedule. The result keeps your Windows PC awake, your Slack and Microsoft Teams status green, and your remote desktop session from timing out. Free, BSD licensed, no ads, no telemetry, hosted on GitHub.
What is Move Mouse
Move Mouse is a Windows utility built by Steve Williams (GitHub username sw3103) that simulates user activity at intervals you control. It is open-source under the BSD 3-Clause licence, has been continuously developed since 2010, and has racked up well over a million downloads across GitHub and the Microsoft Store. The same engine ships in both distributions.
I picked it up the week my company rolled out a new productivity dashboard that flagged any Slack status that went Away during work hours. Move Mouse on a 60-second interval with a 15-second random offset solved it on day one. The cursor barely moved, the dot stayed green, and I went back to reading documentation without a manager pinging me to check if I was at the desk.
Compared to a basic mouse jiggler, Move Mouse is closer to a small automation framework. You can chain a cursor move with a click, follow it with a keystroke, drop in a PowerShell snippet, and stop the whole thing after exactly 200 actions or at 5pm. People who want a cleaner GUI version of AutoHotKey for the keep-awake use case end up here.
Key features
Mouse, click, and keystroke simulation
Pick any combination of cursor move, left or right click, and arbitrary keystroke. Each interval can fire one or all three actions in sequence.
Random interval mode
Mix a base interval with a random offset so the activity does not look mechanically perfect. Useful for setups where activity logs review event timing.
PowerShell scripting
Each interval can run a PowerShell script. Touch a file, ping a URL, write to a log, or chain custom Windows commands alongside the simulated input.
Schedule and counters
Start at 9am, stop at 5pm, or run for exactly 600 actions. The Schedule and counter rules let Move Mouse run only during the hours you choose.
Stealth and tray modes
Hide the main window in the system tray, suppress notifications, or run completely silent so the app stays out of screen recordings and screenshots.
Launch at login
Add to Windows startup so Move Mouse runs the moment you reach the desktop. Combine with Schedule for a fully hands-off daily session.
System requirements
How to install Move Mouse
The GitHub release is portable. No installer, no admin password, no UAC prompt. Two minutes from download to first action.
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Download the ZIP
Click the green download button above. Your browser saves movemouse-4.20.0.zip to the Downloads folder, sourced directly from the official GitHub release page.
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Extract the archive
Right-click the ZIP and choose Extract All. Pick a permanent home like C:\Tools\MoveMouse so the folder does not get cleared next time you tidy Downloads.
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Run MoveMouse.exe
Double-click MoveMouse.exe. Windows SmartScreen may show a one-time warning because the binary is not signed for retail distribution. Click More info, then Run anyway. The Microsoft Store build skips this step.
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Set interval and action
Set the Move Mouse Cursor interval to 30 or 60 seconds. Toggle on the random interval slider for natural variation. Optionally enable Click or Keystroke for stricter idle detectors.
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Click Start
Hit Start. The app minimises to the system tray. The cursor will nudge at every interval until you click Stop or until the schedule window closes.
Microsoft Store version
Move Mouse is also published on the Microsoft Store as a one-time paid app for around 1 to 2 dollars. The Store version is identical in features but adds automatic updates and skips the SmartScreen warning. Pick the Store version if you want frictionless updates, the GitHub portable if you need to run on a locked-down work PC that blocks Store installs.
Common Move Mouse setups
The configurations below are the ones I see most in real-world Move Mouse setups. Pick the closest match to your situation.
Remote work presence
Keep Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Discord, and Webex showing green during long reading sessions, deep-focus coding, or meetings where you are listening but not typing.
Remote desktop sessions
Stop AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Splashtop, Citrix Workspace, and Microsoft Remote Desktop sessions from idle-disconnecting after the default 10 to 15 minute window.
AFK gaming
Roblox, Minecraft, mobile emulators, browser idle games. Pair the click action with a 5 to 10 second interval to farm in-game progress while you are away from the desk.
Long renders and bounces
Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Blender, Adobe After Effects, Cinema 4D, Ableton Live, FL Studio. Keep the workstation awake without changing power plan settings.
Server and admin consoles
Active Directory, Hyper-V, VMware vSphere, AWS Console, and Azure Portal sessions hold for the full work day instead of timing out and forcing a re-auth every hour.
Kiosks and trade show displays
Lobby signage, conference booth screens, and warehouse dashboards stay live without screensaver lockouts. Pair with auto-launch at boot for unattended operation.
Move Mouse vs the alternatives
The mouse mover and idle-prevention category has a few distinct categories. Here is how Move Mouse stacks up.
| Capability | Move Mouse | Mouse Jiggler | Caffeine | AutoHotKey | Hardware USB jiggler |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free | Free | Free | $5 to $15 |
| Open source | Yes | Yes | Some forks | Yes | No |
| Cursor move | Yes | Yes | No | Yes (scripted) | Yes |
| Click simulation | Yes | No | No | Yes (scripted) | No |
| Keystroke simulation | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| PowerShell scripting | Yes | No | No | AHK syntax | No |
| Random interval | Yes | Some | No | Manual | Fixed |
| Built-in scheduler | Yes | No | No | Manual | No |
| Detected by IT MDM | Process visible | Process visible | Process visible | Process visible | Near-invisible |
| Setup complexity | GUI, 2 min | GUI, 1 min | GUI, instant | Script first | Plug in |
The honest summary: Move Mouse hits the sweet spot between bare-minimum jigglers and the full automation of AutoHotKey. If you only need cursor wiggle, a 200 KB jiggler is enough. If you need conditional logic, AutoHotKey is more powerful but takes scripting. Move Mouse covers the 90 percent middle ground with a clean GUI.
Tips for natural-looking activity
Two things matter if you care about the activity looking organic in event logs (some workplace productivity tools log per-second event patterns).
- Use the random interval slider. A perfect 30-second cadence is a giveaway. Set the base to 30 seconds and the random offset to 15 seconds, so events fire between 15 and 45 seconds apart.
- Mix actions. Cursor-only every interval looks mechanical. Alternate cursor moves with the occasional keystroke (Move Mouse can send any single key, including no-op keys like F13 to F24 that no app responds to). Result: the activity log looks less robotic.
- Pair with a real workflow. If you actually use the PC during the day, Move Mouse fills the silent gaps. Logs that show 80 percent real activity and 20 percent simulated look indistinguishable from a normal day.
- Stop on schedule. Productivity software like ActivTrak, Hubstaff, and Time Doctor flag activity that runs through lunch breaks or beyond closing time. Use the Schedule feature to mirror your actual hours.
Is Move Mouse safe
Yes. Open source on GitHub, scanned clean, distributed for over 14 years.
The full source code is published at github.com/sw3103/movemouse under the BSD 3-Clause licence, so the binary is reproducible from a Git tag. The Microsoft Store release is signed and verified by Microsoft. VirusTotal returns clean across every major engine for both the GitHub ZIP and the Store package. The app makes no outbound network calls beyond an optional GitHub update check that you can disable.
Two practical safety notes. First, the GitHub portable build does not have an EV code signing certificate, so Windows SmartScreen will throw a one-time warning. That is normal for open-source releases and is not a malware indicator, click More info, Run anyway. Second, on managed work PCs governed by Microsoft Intune, Jamf, or similar MDM, the simulated input may be visible to endpoint monitoring tools like CrowdStrike Falcon or SentinelOne. Always read your acceptable use policy before deploying.
Version highlights
- 4.20.0 (April 2026). Windows 11 24H2 compatibility, .NET 8 runtime, redesigned Schedule UI, fixed tray icon flicker on multi-monitor.
- 4.18.x (2025). PowerShell script action, randomised interval mode, dark theme.
- 4.15.x (2024). Microsoft Store distribution, MSIX package, automatic updates.
- 4.0 (2017). Major rewrite of the original Move Mouse engine, modern WPF UI, scripting layer.
- 1.0 (2010). Original Move Mouse release by Steve Williams. Has been quietly maintained for over 15 years.
Frequently asked questions
Is Move Mouse free?
Yes on GitHub under BSD 3-Clause. The Microsoft Store version is a small one-time fee for automatic updates. Same engine in both. No subscription, no premium tier.
What does Move Mouse actually do?
Simulates cursor moves, clicks, keystrokes, and PowerShell scripts at configurable intervals. Keeps Windows from sleeping, keeps Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Discord, and Webex from flipping you to Away.
Does it work on Windows 11?
Yes. Version 4.20.0 supports Windows 11 23H2 and 24H2 along with Windows 10 1809 or later.
Is it safe?
Yes. Open source on GitHub, BSD licensed, scanned clean across every major antivirus, signed by Microsoft on the Store release, distributed for over 14 years.
Will Slack, Teams, or Zoom detect Move Mouse?
No. Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Discord, and Webex check whether Windows reports the system as idle. They do not see which app generated the input. A simulated move resets the idle timer the same way a real one does.
How is Move Mouse different from a Mouse Jiggler?
A jiggler only nudges the cursor. Move Mouse adds clicks, keystrokes, scripting, scheduling, randomised intervals, and counter-based stops. Closer to a focused automation tool than a single-purpose jiggler.
How is it different from AutoHotKey?
AutoHotKey is a general scripting language. Move Mouse is a focused GUI tool. People who need a few cursor moves at intervals reach for Move Mouse. People who need keyboard remapping or complex macros reach for AutoHotKey.
Can I run scripts in Move Mouse?
Yes. The Script action runs PowerShell at each interval. Touch a file, ping a URL, write to a log alongside the standard activity simulation.
Does it work over Remote Desktop or Citrix?
Yes. The simulated input is generated client-side, so it works inside an RDP session, a Citrix Workspace session, an AnyDesk window, a Splashtop connection, or a TeamViewer session.
Does it use a lot of RAM or CPU?
No. Under 50 MB RAM, well below 1 percent CPU. Posting an input event is one of the cheapest operations on Windows.
Can I schedule Move Mouse to start and stop?
Yes. The Schedule lets you set start and stop windows by time of day, by counter, or by elapsed minutes. Combine with Launch at Login for fully automated daily sessions.
GitHub or Microsoft Store?
GitHub for a portable copy you can run on a USB stick or a locked-down work PC. Microsoft Store for automatic updates and zero SmartScreen prompts. Same engine in both.