Questions, answered plainly
Including the ones with awkward answers.
Need a how-to instead? See the help guides.
What is Stayaway?
- Stayaway is a desktop app for Windows that keeps your computer active while you step away. It moves the mouse, and on Pro types harmless keys and scrolls, in natural, human-paced patterns, so your computer does not go idle, lock or show you as away. Emergency Stop (Alt+X) ends it instantly from anywhere, and on Pro, Smart Resume stops it the moment you use the mouse yourself.
Is Stayaway a mouse jiggler?
- Yes, a software one. A basic mouse jiggler nudges the pointer on a fixed timer. Stayaway moves it along curved, eased paths with pauses and rests, and on Pro can add keyboard and scroll activity, start on its own when you go idle, and stop as soon as you touch the mouse.
Will this make me undetectable?
- No, and we won't pretend otherwise. Stayaway keeps your machine active so it doesn't read as idle. No tool can promise it defeats every monitoring system, and anyone telling you otherwise is guessing about software they have not seen.
Does it stop my computer from sleeping or locking?
- Yes, while it is running. The input it simulates counts as activity to Windows, so the screen does not dim, lock or go to sleep from inactivity. When you stop Stayaway, your normal power and lock settings apply again.
Why does Windows warn me when I install it?
- Because Stayaway is not yet signed with a code-signing certificate, so Windows does not recognise the publisher. SmartScreen will say "Windows protected your PC": click More info, then Run anyway. Some antivirus software may flag it too, because it simulates mouse and keyboard input and registers global shortcuts. The download page publishes a SHA-256 so you can check the file is the one we built.
What does the free version do?
- The free plan gives you natural mouse activity, the system tray, global hotkeys and Emergency Stop, with no time limit. Keyboard and scroll activity, screen rotation, Auto Detect, Smart Resume, Activity Levels, Screen Presets and launch at login are Pro.
How much does Stayaway Pro cost?
- Stayaway Pro costs $9.99 a month, $99 a year, or $178 once for a lifetime licence. Every plan includes every Pro feature on up to 3 computers, and every purchase can be refunded within 30 days.
Do I need an account?
- Yes. Signing in with your email address is how your licence reaches the app, and it is the one required step in setup. There is no password: we email you a six-digit code. After that Stayaway works offline, because the licence is verified on your own computer.
How does the free trial work?
- New accounts get a 7-day trial of every Pro feature, with no card, starting the first time you sign in on the desktop app. When it ends the app keeps working on the free plan, and your settings stay as you left them, so upgrading later restores what you had.
How many computers can I use it on?
- Stayaway Pro covers 3 computers at once. To use it on a different one, deactivate an old computer from your account page and sign in on the new one.
Does it send my activity anywhere?
- No. Your settings and what you do on your computer stay there. What reaches us is what the licence needs, and usage data about the app itself - when it starts and stops, whether signing in worked, whether you saw or opened a message - tied to the computer, never to your account, and switched off in Settings if you prefer. Never screenshots, never keystrokes, never what you were doing.
Can I use it on my work computer?
- That depends on your employer's rules, and only you can know them. Many employers have policies about monitoring software or reporting working time, and using Stayaway may break yours. The terms say plainly that deciding is your responsibility.
Is there a macOS version?
- Not yet. The engine already runs on macOS and parts of it have been tested on real hardware, but the tray, the hotkeys and the permissions flow need a proper pass on a Mac before we ask anyone to install it.
Will it fight me for the mouse?
- It should not. On Pro, Smart Resume watches for your own cursor and ends the run within milliseconds of you touching it. On every plan, Emergency Stop (Alt+X by default) is a global hotkey that works from anywhere, even with the window closed. If it ever does fight you, that is a bug and we want to hear about it.
Ready to try it?
Mouse activity is free for good. Every Pro feature is free for the trial, with no card.