Choosing an Activity Level
Activity Levels set how busy Stayaway is once a run starts, from Ultra Low to Ultra High. What each level changes, the exact numbers, and how to pick one.
By the Stayaway team2 min read
An Activity Level sets how busy Stayaway is once a run has started: how long it waits between mouse moves, key presses and scrolls. There are five, from Ultra Low to Ultra High. Most people should start at Moderate and move one step at a time from there.
Activity Levels are part of Stayaway Pro. On the free plan the dial is shown but locked.
What a level changes, and what it does not
A level sets six numbers: the shortest and longest wait between mouse moves, between key presses, and between scrolls. Stayaway picks each wait at random inside those limits, so the pace varies even at a fixed level.
A level does not change when a run starts. That is Auto Detect's idle threshold, which you set on its own. It also leaves Screen Rotation's interval alone. The idle threshold is when Stayaway starts; the level is how fast it acts once it has.
The five levels
Every figure is the wait between one action and the next, in seconds.
| Level | Mouse | Keyboard | Scroll |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultra Low | 1 to 8 | 1.2 to 10 | 3 to 15 |
| Low | 0.8 to 6 | 0.8 to 7 | 2 to 12 |
| Moderate | 0.6 to 4.5 | 0.5 to 5 | 1 to 10 |
| High | 0.35 to 3 | 0.3 to 3.5 | 0.5 to 6 |
| Ultra High | 0.15 to 1.5 | 0.15 to 2 | 0.2 to 3 |
Two things hold at every level. Stayaway still works in stretches and rests, pausing for a minute or two every few minutes the way someone takes their hand off the mouse. And no level aims to look like a person who never stops: even Ultra High leaves gaps.
How to choose
- Start at Moderate. It is the middle of the range and suits most people.
- Go lower if the activity feels like more than you need, for example if all you want is for the screen not to lock while you read.
- Go higher if the computer still dims, locks or shows you as away while a run is going.
- Change one step at a time, and give each level a real session before judging it.
What "Custom" means
If you move any of the sliders yourself, the dial shows Custom. The label is worked out from the values every time, never stored on its own, so it cannot say Moderate while the sliders hold something else.
That is also why a fresh install shows Custom rather than a level. The starting values were chosen on their own and do not match any row in the table. Pick a level and the sliders move to its values.
Where to find it
Open Stayaway. The Activity Level dial is in the quick presets row at the top of the main window, beside Screen Preset. The setting is saved on your computer, and never sent to us.
If you have not tried Pro yet, every Pro feature is free for 7 days, with no card.