What Is a Virtual Fidget? Meet Sway, Our Free Hanging Fidget for Chrome
QUICK ANSWER
A virtual fidget is a small interactive object that lives on a screen. Sway by Fidgeting Fingers is a free Chrome extension that hangs a bead-filled sensory ball beside normal webpages. You can pull, stretch, swing and bounce it with a mouse, trackpad, touch or keyboard—without opening a game or creating an account.
Written by the Fidgeting Fingers team, who designed, built and tested Sway. Published 21 August 2026.
What is a virtual fidget?
A virtual fidget is an interactive digital object designed for brief, repeatable movement. Instead of holding a separate toy, you move the object with the controls already at your desk. A good virtual fidget should be quick to reach, simple to understand and easy to leave alone when you want to return to the task in front of you.
Sway takes that idea literally. A long silicone-style cord and blue bead-filled ball hang from the top corner of the browser. Pulling the ball stretches the cord. Releasing it carries your throw into a pendulum swing. The ball reacts to gravity, elastic tension, momentum, damping and the edges of the browser window, so the movement feels physical rather than pre-recorded.
Why did Fidgeting Fingers make Sway?
We wanted to create a browser fidget that felt satisfying without turning the experience into a game. The smallest motion details mattered: the weight at the end of a cord, the resistance when it is pulled and the uneven movement as it settles.
We built Sway as an extension first, shaping its visual language and interaction around four physical behaviours:
- Gravity gives the ball a natural downward pull.
- Elastic tension draws it back towards the hanging point.
- Momentum lets the speed and direction of your throw carry through.
- Damping gradually settles the motion instead of letting it swing forever.
This is a deliberately small experience. Sway has no points, streaks, timers, adverts or sound effects. It sits beside the page rather than asking you to leave it.
How is a virtual fidget different from a physical fidget toy?
A virtual fidget offers convenient movement through a device, while a physical fidget provides real texture, pressure and weight. Neither is automatically better. The useful choice depends on where you are, what kind of input you enjoy and whether screen movement helps or distracts you.
| Consideration | Virtual fidget such as Sway | Physical fidget toy |
|---|---|---|
| Where it lives | Inside Chrome beside normal webpages | In your hand, pocket, bag or on your desk |
| Input | Mouse, trackpad, touch or keyboard | Squeeze, roll, click, pull or spin |
| Tactile feedback | Visual movement and control resistance | Real texture, pressure, temperature and weight |
| Noise | Silent by design | Varies by material and mechanism |
| Convenience | Available when you are already using Chrome | Works away from a screen and needs no device |
| Best fit | Short movement while browsing, reading or working online | Hands-on sensory play and movement anywhere |
If you prefer genuine texture and pressure, choose a physical object. Our guide to fidgets, focus and concentration explains why personal preference and context matter. If you want something silent that is already beside your browser work, a virtual fidget may be the more convenient option.
How do you use Sway?
- Find the ball. After installation and a page refresh, Sway hangs from the top-right corner of normal webpages.
- Pull it. Grab the blue ball with a mouse, trackpad or touch and drag it in any direction.
- Release it. A gentle release produces a pendulum swing; a faster throw adds more momentum.
- Bounce it. Throw towards a window edge and the ball rebounds with a soft visual squish.
- Make it yours. Use the toolbar control to turn Sway off, reset it or move it to the left corner.
Keyboard users can Tab to the ball and use the arrow keys to push it. Holding Shift creates a stronger push, while Space or Home resets it. Full instructions are available on the Sway support page.
Who might enjoy a browser fidget?
Sway is for anyone who enjoys a little controlled movement while they are already using a browser. That might include an adult reading a long document, a student revising online, a remote worker between tasks or somebody who simply likes watching a pendulum settle.
A fidget is personal. One person may find a small movement pleasant; another may find the same movement distracting. Sway is not a medical device, treatment or replacement for professional support, and we do not claim that it improves concentration or reduces anxiety. Use it when it feels useful and switch it off when it does not.
Does Sway read the webpages you visit?
No. Sway does not collect or transmit browsing history, page content, form entries, authentication information or personal information. It uses a Chrome content script because the ball has to be drawn over normal webpages and respond to your input. Chrome’s own developer documentation explains that content scripts run in the context of webpages; Sway limits that access to presenting the fidget.
The only saved information is your on/off choice and preferred corner. These settings use Chrome’s extension-specific local storage. Google documents the Chrome Storage API as the mechanism for extension components to store and retrieve state.
Sway contains no analytics, advertising, third-party trackers or remotely loaded code. Its scripts, image assets and font are bundled inside the extension. You can read the complete, plain-language Sway privacy promise.
What accessibility choices are built into Sway?
Sway supports pointer, touch and keyboard interaction. The moving visual is paired with a labelled keyboard control, focus remains visible, and the decorative canvas is hidden from assistive technology so it does not create duplicate noise.
The extension also respects the system’s reduced-motion preference by lowering speed and bounce while keeping the control usable. The W3C explains that the prefers-reduced-motion setting can help people prevent motion triggered by interactions. We chose a gentler mode rather than forcing the full animation on every user.
How was Sway tested?
We tested the finished Sway 1.0 build rather than relying only on design mock-ups. Our release checks covered desktop at 1280 by 800 pixels, mobile at 390 by 844 pixels, mouse and touch-style dragging, keyboard pushes, left and right corner placement, reduced motion, reset behaviour, wall collisions and the Chrome local-storage settings flow.
We also checked the production package itself. It is a Manifest V3 extension containing 18 bundled files, with manifest.json at the package root and only the Chrome storage permission. The final browser preview produced no Sway-origin console errors during quality assurance.
Chrome prevents extensions from running on protected surfaces such as chrome:// pages, the Chrome Web Store and some built-in viewers. On normal websites, Sway appears after installation and a page refresh.
Is Sway free?
Yes. Sway 1.0 is a free Chrome extension from Fidgeting Fingers. It does not require an account and does not contain paid upgrades, adverts or sponsored movement. The finished extension is currently being prepared for Chrome Web Store review.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free virtual fidget for Chrome?
The best option depends on the movement you enjoy and the permissions you are comfortable granting. Sway is a free, silent hanging-ball fidget with physics-based pulling, swinging and bouncing, keyboard access, local-only settings and no account or analytics.
Can I use Sway on every website?
Sway works on normal webpages where Chrome permits content scripts. It cannot appear on protected Chrome pages, the Chrome Web Store or some built-in document viewers.
Does Sway work without a mouse?
Yes. You can use a trackpad or touch input. Keyboard users can focus the ball with Tab, push it with the arrow keys and reset it with Space or Home.
Will Sway make a sound?
No. Sway is silent by design, including when the ball bounces against the edge of the browser window.
Is a virtual fidget a medical or therapeutic tool?
No. Sway is an everyday interactive object, not a medical device, therapy or treatment. People respond differently to movement, so stop or switch it off if it feels distracting or uncomfortable.
Try a little movement beside your work
Meet Sway by Fidgeting Fingers to see the hanging ball in action, review its privacy promise and follow the Chrome Web Store release. The dedicated Sway support page covers installation, keyboard access and troubleshooting.