macOS Big Sur – How to Toggle KeyboardViewer with AppleScript

automatorbig surkeyboardmacosshortcut

I am trying to create a shortcut that toggles Keyboard Viewer with Automator. I have tried these both ways: this old one and and this one for Sierra
For both ways, there is a syntax error "Can't get application KeyboardViewer"
If i press the shortcut i assigned, it opens a window("Choose an application") with a list of apps

The scripts I have tried:

if application "KeyboardViewer" is running then
    quit application "KeyboardViewer"
end if

activate application "KeyboardViewer"

-- wait until the window has been closed, then end the KeyboardViewer process
set numberOfWindows to 1
repeat until numberOfWindows = 0
    delay 5
    tell application "System Events"
        tell process "KeyboardViewer"
            set numberOfWindows to count windows
        end tell
    end tell
end repeat
quit application "KeyboardViewer"

and

on run
    tell application "System Events"
        set activeApp to name of first application process whose frontmost is true and visible is true
    end tell
    if application "KeyboardViewer" is running then
        quit application "KeyboardViewer"
    else
        activate application "KeyboardViewer"
    end if
    tell application activeApp to activate
end run

Best Answer

This works for me on macOS Big Sur.

if application "System Preferences" is running then do shell script "killall 'System Preferences'"
repeat until application "System Preferences" is not running
    delay 0.1
end repeat

tell application "System Preferences"
    reveal anchor "Virtual_Keyboard" of pane "com.apple.preference.universalaccess"
end tell

tell application "System Events" to tell application process "System Preferences"
    repeat until checkbox "Enable Accessibility Keyboard" of tab group 1 ¬
        of group 1 of window "Accessibility" exists
        delay 0.1
    end repeat
    set theValue to value of checkbox "Enable Accessibility Keyboard" of tab group ¬
        1 of group 1 of window "Accessibility"
    delay 0.1
    if theValue = 1 then
        set frontmost to true
        repeat until frontmost
            delay 0.1
        end repeat
        click checkbox "Enable Accessibility Keyboard" of tab group 1 of ¬
            group 1 of window "Accessibility"
        delay 0.1
        if UI element "OK" of sheet 1 of window "Accessibility" exists then
            click UI element "OK" of sheet 1 of window "Accessibility"
        end if
    else
        click checkbox "Enable Accessibility Keyboard" of tab group 1 of ¬
            group 1 of window "Accessibility"
    end if
end tell

do shell script "killall 'System Preferences'"

SIDENOTE: My reason for using the the do shell script "killall 'System Preferences'" command rather than tell application "System Preferences" to quit is... Let's say, for what ever reason, System Preferences.app is already activated (with, for example, window Sharing/ Remote Management/ Computer Settings open) but not visible or not front most or whatever. In Script Editor, you try to run tell application "System Preferences" to reveal anchor "SpeakableItems" of pane id "com.apple.preference.universalaccess" That command completes with no obvious errors but when you switch over to System Preferences, your "revealed anchor" is not revealed. Ok, no big deal, easy fix. I'll just insert a tell application "System Preferences" to quit command prior to the reveal anchorcommand. Running the updated code this time, you get a (userCanceledErr:-128) error. All of this hassle is because that secondary drop down window in System Preferences is open. In my opinion, the do shell script "killall 'System Preferences'" command seems to be the best solution.

Here is another option if you have the “Show Accessibility status in menu bar” checked in System Preferences/Accessibility. It's short, it's sweet, but it does use UI scripting.

tell application "System Events"
    click menu bar item "Accessibility Shortcuts" of menu bar 1 ¬
        of application process "ControlCenter"
    repeat until checkbox "Accessibility Keyboard" of group 1 of ¬
        window "Control Center" of application process "ControlCenter" exists
        delay 0.1
    end repeat
    click checkbox "Accessibility Keyboard" of group 1 of ¬
        window "Control Center" of application process "ControlCenter"
    delay 0.1
    key code 53 -- escape key
end tell
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