Profiles Switcher Profiles Switcher › ControlPlane alternative
A ControlPlane alternative for today's macOS
If you used ControlPlane or MarcoPolo, Profiles Switcher will feel familiar: your contexts become profiles, your evidence sources become rules, and your actions carry over. It is a native, sandboxed app on the Mac App Store for macOS 13 or later.
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Why ControlPlane users look for another app
ControlPlane taught a generation of Mac users that the computer can recognize where it is. Many of those users went years without an update: the last packaged release, 1.6.7, dates from 2019, before Apple Silicon. The good news is that ControlPlane is being rebuilt in Swift, and the project describes the rewrite as alpha software for now. People who need a finished app for daily use today, installed and updated through the Mac App Store, are who Profiles Switcher is for.
How do ControlPlane concepts map to Profiles Switcher?
| ControlPlane | Profiles Switcher |
|---|---|
| Context / profile | Profile |
| Evidence source / sensor rule | Rule (trigger) |
| Confidence weights and threshold | Match if any rule is true, or if all are true |
| Choosing between matching contexts | Priority number: the lowest number wins |
| Actions on arrival | Actions run when the profile switches on |
| Actions on departure | The next profile's actions, or a low-priority Everyday profile |
Which evidence sources carry over?
| ControlPlane sensor | Profiles Switcher rule |
|---|---|
| Wi-Fi (SSID) | Wi-Fi network |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth device |
| USB | USB device (any of a model, or one exact unit) |
| Power | AC power, Battery level, Low Power Mode |
| Network Link | Network service active, Ethernet cable connected |
| IP Address | IP address / range (local or public, in or NOT in a range) |
| Monitor | Any external display, No external display, Named display |
| Mounted Volume | Volume mounted |
| Laptop Lid | Laptop lid |
| Audio Output | Audio output device |
| Time of Day | Time of day, Day of the week |
| Location (original ControlPlane) | Geofence (location) |
Profiles Switcher also has rules for the 3.5 mm headphone jack, battery level, Low Power Mode, Dark or Light appearance and time zone.
Which actions carry over?
| ControlPlane action | Profiles Switcher action |
|---|---|
| Run Shortcut | Run a Shortcut |
| Shell Script | Run a Shortcut containing the Shortcuts "Run Shell Script" action |
| Open (app, file, folder) | Launch an app, Open a file or folder |
| Open URL | Open a URL, in any installed browser |
| Open & Hide | Launch an app plus Hide an app |
| Speak | Speak text aloud, in any installed voice |
| Mount Volume | Mount a network share (SMB, AFP, NFS, WebDAV) |
| Desktop Background | Set desktop wallpaper |
| Prevent Display / System Sleep | Prevent sleep (Keep display awake / Keep system awake) |
| Default Printer (original ControlPlane) | Set default printer |
On top of that come switching the sound output and microphone, setting the volume, muting, the keyboard layout and notifications. And because Run a Shortcut can run anything the Shortcuts app can do, including a Run Shell Script step, most script-based actions have a home too.
What a migrated context looks like
How to move over in 15 minutes
- List your contexts. Most setups have three to five: Home, Work, Travel, perhaps Presentation.
- Create one profile per context and add the rules that identified it, using the table above.
- Recreate the actions. Use built-in actions where they exist; move scripts into a shortcut and use Run a Shortcut.
- Set priorities so specific profiles win over general ones, and add an Everyday profile with your defaults at the lowest priority.
- Grant permissions the first time: Location for Wi-Fi and location rules, Bluetooth for Bluetooth rules.
Who each app suits
Frequently asked questions
Is ControlPlane still maintained?
Yes. In 2026 its developer started rebuilding ControlPlane in Swift for current macOS, and the project is active on GitHub. The README describes the rewrite as alpha software. The last packaged release is 1.6.7 from 2019.
What is the difference between a context and a profile?
They are the same idea. A ControlPlane context and a Profiles Switcher profile both describe a situation, such as Home or Office, and what the Mac should do there.
How do confidence weights translate?
Instead of weights and a threshold, each profile matches when any of its rules is true, or only when all of them are true. When several profiles match, the one with the higher priority (lower number) wins.
Can actions run when I leave a context?
Actions run when a profile switches on. To undo something when you leave, give the profile that takes over the opposite action, or add a low-priority Everyday profile that restores your defaults whenever nothing more specific matches.
Can I import my ControlPlane settings?
There is no importer. Most setups have a handful of contexts, and recreating them from menus takes a few minutes using the mapping tables on this page.
See also: Mac automation apps compared and ready-made automation recipes.
Bring your contexts back
Profiles Switcher is a menu bar app for Mac (macOS 13 or later, Apple Silicon and Intel) that switches your Mac's setup automatically. You build profiles from 19 triggers, such as the Wi-Fi network you join, a place, headphones or a display, and 18 actions, including running any of your Shortcuts. Everything runs on your Mac; it is available on the Mac App Store.
Download on the Mac App Store