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@stephancasas
Last active July 15, 2025 09:40
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Toggle sidecar or screen mirroring from Control Center in macOS Ventura
#!/usr/bin/env osascript -l JavaScript
/**
* -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Activate Sidecar/Screen Mirroring from Control Center
* -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*
* Created on February 17, 2023 by Stephan Casas
* Updated on May 18, 2023 by Stephan Casas
*
* Options:
* - TARGET_DEVICE_NAME
* - The name of the sidecar/screen mirroring device to toggle.
* - This should be exactly as it's written in screen mirroring menu.
* - Include any whitespace characters as given in the menu entry.
*
*
* Notes:
* This script was tested on macOS 13 Ventura and may break with future OS
* updates.
*/
const TARGET_DEVICE_NAME = 'REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_DEVICE_NAME';
const $attr = Ref();
const $windows = Ref();
const $children = Ref();
function run(_) {
// Get the current Control Center PID.
const pid = $.NSRunningApplication.runningApplicationsWithBundleIdentifier(
'com.apple.controlcenter',
).firstObject.processIdentifier;
// Get the Control Center application.
const app = $.AXUIElementCreateApplication(pid);
// Get the Control Center menubar extra children.
$.AXUIElementCopyAttributeValue(app, 'AXChildren', $children);
$.AXUIElementCopyAttributeValue($children[0].js[0], 'AXChildren', $children);
// Locate the Control Center menubar extra (also has Clock, Users, etc.).
const ccExtra = $children[0].js.find((child) => {
$.AXUIElementCopyAttributeValue(child, 'AXIdentifier', $attr);
return $attr[0].js == 'com.apple.menuextra.controlcenter';
});
// Open Control Center window and await draw.
$.AXUIElementPerformAction(ccExtra, 'AXPress');
if (
!(() => {
const timeout = new Date().getTime() + 2000;
while (true) {
$.AXUIElementCopyAttributeValue(app, 'AXWindows', $windows);
if (
typeof $windows[0] == 'function' &&
($windows[0].js.length ?? 0) > 0
) {
return true;
}
if (new Date().getTime() > timeout) {
return false;
}
delay(0.1);
}
})()
) {
return;
}
// Get Control Center window children.
$.AXUIElementCopyAttributeValue($windows[0].js[0], 'AXChildren', $children);
// Locate the Control Center modules group.
const modulesGroup = $children[0].js.find((child) => {
$.AXUIElementCopyAttributeValue(child, 'AXRole', $attr);
return $attr[0].js == 'AXGroup';
});
// Get the individual modules within the modules group.
$.AXUIElementCopyAttributeValue(modulesGroup, 'AXChildren', $children);
// Locate the screen-mirroring module.
const screenMirroring = $children[0].js.find((child) => {
$.AXUIElementCopyAttributeValue(child, 'AXIdentifier', $attr);
return $attr[0].js == 'controlcenter-screen-mirroring';
});
// Activate the screen mirroring module and await draw.
$.AXUIElementPerformAction(
screenMirroring,
// Wtf is this action name, Apple??
'Name:show details\nTarget:0x0\nSelector:(null)',
);
if (
!(() => {
const timeout = new Date().getTime() + 2000;
while (true) {
$.AXUIElementCopyAttributeValue(modulesGroup, 'AXChildren', $children);
if (
typeof $children[0] == 'function' &&
($children[0].js.length ?? 0) > 0
) {
return true;
}
if (new Date().getTime() > timeout) {
return false;
}
delay(0.1);
}
})()
) {
return;
}
// Get the scroll area containing the device mirroring options.
const mirroringOptions = $children[0].js.find((child) => {
$.AXUIElementCopyAttributeValue(child, 'AXRole', $attr);
return $attr[0].js == 'AXScrollArea';
});
// Get all mirroring options.
$.AXUIElementCopyAttributeValue(mirroringOptions, 'AXChildren', $children);
// Locate the toggle element for the target mirroring device.
const toggle = $children[0].js
.filter((child) => {
$.AXUIElementCopyAttributeValue(child, 'AXRole', $attr);
return $attr[0].js == `AXCheckBox`;
})
.find((child) => {
$.AXUIElementCopyAttributeValue(child, 'AXIdentifier', $attr);
return $attr[0].js == `screen-mirroring-device-${TARGET_DEVICE_NAME}`;
});
if (!toggle) {
console.log(
'Error: Could not get toggle for target screen-mirroring device.',
);
return 1;
}
// Press the toggle for the target device.
$.AXUIElementPerformAction(toggle, 'AXPress');
// Send ⎋ to dismiss Control Center.
$.CGEventPost($.kCGHIDEventTap, $.CGEventCreateKeyboardEvent(null, 53, true));
$.CGEventPost($.kCGHIDEventTap, $.CGEventCreateKeyboardEvent(null, 53, true));
return 0;
}
// prettier-ignore
(() => {
ObjC.import('Cocoa'); // yes, it's necessary -- stop telling me it isn't
ObjC.bindFunction('AXUIElementPerformAction', ['int', ['id', 'id']]);
ObjC.bindFunction('AXUIElementCreateApplication', ['id', ['unsigned int']]);
ObjC.bindFunction('AXUIElementCopyAttributeValue',['int', ['id', 'id', 'id*']]);
})();
@thedavidthomas
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thedavidthomas commented Apr 7, 2025

The Control Center is a little buggy on my Mac so I have resorted to using AppleScript and System Settings with a few delays.

tell application "System Settings"
    activate
    delay 0.5
    reveal pane id "com.apple.Displays-Settings.extension"
    repeat until window 1 exists
        delay 0.1
    end repeat
    delay 0.5 -- (Great API Apple, sometimes needs a bit extra time to load)
    tell application "System Events"
        tell first window of application process "System Settings"
            -- wait for the page to be loaded, so that the pop up button can be clicked
            repeat until exists (pop up button 1 of group 1 of group 2 of splitter group 1 of group 1)
                delay 0.1
            end repeat
            tell pop up button 1 of group 1 of group 2 of splitter group 1 of group 1
                click
                tell menu 1
                    set found to false
                    repeat with aMenuItem in menu items
                        if name of aMenuItem contains "Mirror or Extend to" then
                            set found to true
                        end if
                        if name of aMenuItem contains "iPad" and found then
                            click aMenuItem
                            delay 0.5 -- wait for the click to complete (thanks Apple, great API)
                            exit repeat
                        end if
                    end repeat
                end tell
            end tell
        end tell
    end tell
    quit
end tell

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