There are several ways to stop your machine sleeping at the wrong moment. This page covers all of them — from system settings to controlled auto clicking. Free download for Mac and Windows.
Green Dotter is distributed directly from green-dotter.com. This is the official download source for the Green Dotter app. No account, email address or subscription is required.
Mac and Windows both have power settings designed to reduce energy use and protect your device when it's not being used. That's a reasonable default for most situations. But idle timers don't know the difference between "genuinely doing nothing" and "reading a long document" or "waiting for a process to finish."
The machine sees no mouse or keyboard activity. So it dims the screen, locks, or sleeps. Common culprits:
The fix depends on what you're trying to do and how much control you have over your device.
If you have full control of your Mac, system settings are the simplest starting point.
Display sleep: Go to System Settings → Displays → Advanced and adjust the screen sleep timer. Set it to "Never" when plugged in if you need extended sessions.
Lock screen: System Settings → Lock Screen lets you adjust how long before the screen locks after sleep begins.
Low Power Mode: On laptops, Low Power Mode can shorten idle timers. Turn it off during long sessions.
Limitation: On managed work Macs, your organisation may control these settings and you may not be able to change them. If that's the case, system settings aren't your answer. See the dedicated Mac auto clicker page for a controlled-activity option.
On Windows, power settings are straightforward to adjust.
Power & sleep settings: Settings → System → Power & sleep. Set screen and sleep timers to longer durations or "Never" when plugged in.
PowerToys Awake: Microsoft's free PowerToys suite includes an Awake utility. It keeps your machine awake for a set duration without changing your permanent power settings — useful for temporary sessions.
Limitation: On managed work Windows devices, Group Policy may override these settings. PowerToys may not be installable on locked-down machines. See the Windows auto clicker page for the controlled-clicking option.
A mouse jiggler keeps a computer awake by moving the cursor — enough movement that the machine doesn't register as idle. Hardware jigglers are USB devices. Software jigglers run as apps. Both do the same thing.
They're simple and work well enough for basic keep-awake use. The limitation is control: a mouse jiggler moves the pointer, but doesn't let you choose where it goes or whether it clicks anything. For basic sleep prevention on a personal device, a mouse jiggler is fine. For anything that requires more precision, it starts to feel blunt.
Green Dotter is useful when you need controlled desktop activity, not just a wake-lock setting. You choose a safe area of your screen. Green Dotter clicks inside it on a randomised schedule. When you come back and move the mouse yourself, it pauses automatically.
That's more useful than a mouse jiggler when:
It's a local app. No account. No cloud. Free.
| Option | Mac | Windows | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in power settings | Yes | Yes | Simple, permanent sleep control |
| PowerToys Awake | No | Yes | Temporary Windows wake-lock |
| Mouse jiggler | Yes | Yes | Basic cursor movement, sleep prevention |
| Green Dotter | Yes | Yes | Controlled clicking and desktop activity |
If you just need the screen to stay on, start with power settings or a keep-awake utility. If you need controlled activity in a specific screen area, Green Dotter is the better fit. More in our guide to keeping your computer awake without changing every setting.
On organisation-managed devices, some power and activity settings may be locked. Check what's allowed before changing settings or installing tools. Green Dotter is a local desktop utility. It performs click actions inside the area you configure. Use it for legitimate desktop automation purposes and check your workplace policies if you're unsure.
Green Dotter is distributed directly from green-dotter.com. This is the official download source for the Green Dotter app. No account, email address or subscription is required.