Desktop pets for Windows 11: what to look for

What Windows has by itself

• No desktop pet. Windows doesn't include one.
• Focus sessions in the Clock app. Open Clock > Focus sessions on Windows 11 to set a focus timer with breaks. It's the built-in way to work in 25-minute stretches, though there's no character.

What to check before you install a desktop pet

• It doesn't read your keyboard. A pet that reacts to typing should say whether it uses keyboard hooks. The safest ones only check when you last typed, not what.
• No account, no launcher and no stream of downloads.
• It stays out of the way: you can drag it and resize it, and it stays above the taskbar without covering your work.
• Start with Windows is off until you choose it.
• It's easy to remove: ideally one folder you can delete.

A small companion: Solace Pet

Disclosure: Solace Pet is our product. SolaceSoftware makes and sells it.

Solace Pet is one small Windows app with one original character, Sola: a round cloud with a sun peeking out behind her. Per its product page:

• Original hand-drawn animations: idle, typing, click, happy, look-around and sleep.
• She types along while you work, looks around, naps after 2 minutes without input, and wakes up when you're back.
• A 25-minute cheer timer, if you turn it on from the tray menu.
• Drag her anywhere, poke her with a click, or double-click for a happy hop. The tray menu has three sizes, always on top, move back to corner, and start with Windows (off by default).
• She never reads what you type. Solace Pet installs no keyboard or mouse hooks. It only asks Windows when the last input happened. It makes no network connections of its own and has no account.

Before you buy: you need Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit, with Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime (built into Windows 11 and current Windows 10). It's a single portable EXE in a ZIP of about 7 MB, with no installer or administrator rights. The download is unsigned, so on first launch click More info > Run anyway, then check the ZIP against the SHA-256 on the product page. To remove it, turn off Start with Windows if you enabled it, quit from the tray and delete the folder.

Price: $11.87 once, with 12 months of best-effort email support. No subscription. There's no free trial for Solace Pet.

Which route?

• You just want 25-minute focus blocks: use Focus sessions in the Clock app.
• You want a little company on screen while you work, with no account and no keyboard hooks: try a small desktop pet like Sola.

Get Solace Pet, $11.87 once. Questions before you buy: solacesoftware@smilingface.cloud.