NathanWalker · Oct 6, 2026 · Oct 6, 2026
diff --git a/apps/automated/src/ui/tab-view/tab-view-tests-native.android.ts b/apps/automated/src/ui/tab-view/tab-view-tests-native.android.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ export function getNativeSelectedIndex(tabView: TabView): number {
 	return viewPager ? viewPager.getCurrentItem() : -1;
 }
 
+export function getNativeProminentTabIdentifier(tabView: TabView): string | null | undefined {
+	return undefined;
+}
+
 export function getNativeFont(tabView: TabView): any {
 	const tv: android.widget.TextView = (<org.nativescript.widgets.TabLayout>(<any>tabView)._tabLayout).getTextViewForItemAt(0);
 	if (tv) {

diff --git a/apps/automated/src/ui/tab-view/tab-view-tests-native.d.ts b/apps/automated/src/ui/tab-view/tab-view-tests-native.d.ts
@@ -4,5 +4,7 @@ import { TabView } from '@nativescript/core/ui/tab-view';
 export function getNativeTabCount(tabView: TabView): number;
 export function selectNativeTab(tabView: TabView, index: number): void;
 export function getNativeSelectedIndex(tabView: TabView): number;
+/** `undefined` where the platform has no prominent tab (Android, iOS < 27). */
+export function getNativeProminentTabIdentifier(tabView: TabView): string | null | undefined;
 export function getNativeFont(tabView: TabView): any;
 export function getOriginalFont(tabView: TabView): any;
diff --git a/apps/automated/src/ui/tab-view/tab-view-tests-native.ios.ts b/apps/automated/src/ui/tab-view/tab-view-tests-native.ios.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
-import { Font, TabView } from '@nativescript/core';
+import { Font, TabView, Utils } from '@nativescript/core';
 
 export function getNativeTabCount(tabView: TabView): number {
-	if (!tabView.ios.viewControllers) {
-		return 0;
-	}
+	const controllers = tabView.ios.viewControllers ?? (Utils.SDK_VERSION >= 27 ? tabView.ios.tabs : null);
 
-	return tabView.ios.viewControllers.count;
+	return controllers ? controllers.count : 0;
 }
 
 export function selectNativeTab(tabView: TabView, index: number): void {
@@ -17,6 +15,14 @@ export function getNativeSelectedIndex(tabView: TabView): number {
 	return tabView.ios.selectedIndex;
 }
 
+export function getNativeProminentTabIdentifier(tabView: TabView): string | null | undefined {
+	if (Utils.SDK_VERSION < 27) {
+		return undefined;
+	}
+
+	return tabView.ios.prominentTabIdentifier;
+}
+
 export function getNativeFont(tabView: TabView): UIFont {
 	const tabBar = <UITabBar>tabView.ios.tabBar;
 	if (tabBar.items.count > 0) {

diff --git a/apps/automated/src/ui/tab-view/tab-view-tests.ts b/apps/automated/src/ui/tab-view/tab-view-tests.ts
@@ -319,6 +319,44 @@ export class TabViewTest extends UITest<tabViewModule.TabView> {
 		TKUnit.assertEqual(actualNewIndex, expectedNewIndex, 'expectedNewIndex');
 	};
 
+	public test_SearchRoleTabIsProminent = function () {
+		const tabView = this.testView;
+		const items = this._createItems(3);
+		items[2].role = 'search';
+		tabView.items = items;
+		this.waitUntilTestElementIsLoaded();
+
+		const actual = tabViewTestsNative.getNativeProminentTabIdentifier(tabView);
+		if (actual !== undefined) {
+			TKUnit.assertEqual(actual, '2', 'search tab should be prominent');
+		}
+	};
+
+	public test_ProminentRoleTakesPrecedenceOverSearchRole = function () {
+		const tabView = this.testView;
+		const items = this._createItems(3);
+		items[0].role = 'search';
+		items[1].role = 'prominent';
+		tabView.items = items;
+		this.waitUntilTestElementIsLoaded();
+
+		const actual = tabViewTestsNative.getNativeProminentTabIdentifier(tabView);
+		if (actual !== undefined) {
+			TKUnit.assertEqual(actual, '1', 'prominent tab should win over search tab');
+		}
+	};
+
+	public test_NoProminentTabWithoutRoles = function () {
+		const tabView = this.testView;
+		tabView.items = this._createItems(3);
+		this.waitUntilTestElementIsLoaded();
+
+		const actual = tabViewTestsNative.getNativeProminentTabIdentifier(tabView);
+		if (actual !== undefined) {
+			TKUnit.assertNull(actual, 'no tab should be prominent');
+		}
+	};
+
 	// public test_FontIsReappliedWhenTabItemsChange = function () {
 	// 	const assertFontsAreEqual = (actual: any, expected: any, message?: string) => {
 	// 		if (this.testView.ios) {

diff --git a/apps/toolbox/src/pages/tabview.xml b/apps/toolbox/src/pages/tabview.xml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
         </TabViewItem>
 
         <!-- Third tab -->
-        <!-- change role to 'search' to see different behavior on iOS -->
+        <!-- change role to 'search' or 'prominent' (iOS 27+) to see different behavior on iOS -->
         <TabViewItem title="Third" iconSource="font://&#x43;" role="none">
             <Label text="Third Tab Content" textAlignment="center" verticalAlignment="center" />
         </TabViewItem>

diff --git a/packages/core/ui/tab-view/index.d.ts b/packages/core/ui/tab-view/index.d.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@ export class TabViewItem extends ViewBase {
 	public iconSource: string;
 
 	/**
-	 * Gets or sets the role of the TabViewItem.
+	 * Gets or sets the role of the TabViewItem (iOS 18+).
+	 * - `search`: a system search tab, shown separated from the other tabs.
+	 * - `prominent`: gives the tab the separated, emphasized placement on iOS 27+ (takes precedence over `search`).
 	 */
 	public role: string;
 
@@ -150,12 +152,12 @@ export class TabView extends View {
 	/**
 	 * Gets the native [android widget](http://developer.android.com/reference/android/support/v4/view/ViewPager.html) that represents the user interface for this component. Valid only when running on Android OS.
 	 */
-	android: any /* android.view.View */; //androidx.core.view.ViewPager;
+	android: any; /* android.view.View */ //androidx.core.view.ViewPager;
 
 	/**
 	 * Gets the native iOS [UITabBarController](https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/UIKit/Reference/UITabBarController_Class/) that represents the user interface for this component. Valid only when running on iOS.
 	 */
-	ios: any /* UITabBarController */;
+	ios: any; /* UITabBarController */
 
 	/**
 	 * Gets or set the UIImageRenderingMode of the tab icons in iOS.  Defaults to "automatic"

diff --git a/packages/core/ui/tab-view/index.ios.ts b/packages/core/ui/tab-view/index.ios.ts
@@ -115,24 +115,45 @@ class UITabBarControllerDelegateImpl extends NSObject implements UITabBarControl
 			Trace.write('TabView.delegate.SHOULD_select(' + tabBarController + ', ' + viewController + ');', Trace.categories.Debug);
 		}
 
-		const owner = this._owner?.deref();
-		if (owner) {
-			// "< More" cannot be visible after clicking on the main tab bar buttons.
-			owner._handleTwoNavigationBars(false);
+		return this._shouldSelect(tabBarController, tabBarController.selectedViewController === viewController);
+	}
+
+	public tabBarControllerDidSelectViewController(tabBarController: UITabBarController, viewController: UIViewController): void {
+		if (Trace.isEnabled()) {
+			Trace.write('TabView.delegate.DID_select(' + tabBarController + ', ' + viewController + ');', Trace.categories.Debug);
 		}
 
-		if (tabBarController.selectedViewController === viewController) {
-			return false;
+		this._didSelect(tabBarController, viewController);
+	}
+
+	// Tabs-configured controllers (iOS 27+) report selection only through the UITab callbacks.
+	public tabBarControllerShouldSelectTab(tabBarController: UITabBarController, tab: UITab): boolean {
+		if (tabBarController.viewControllers) {
+			return true;
 		}
 
-		return true;
+		return this._shouldSelect(tabBarController, tabBarController.selectedTab === tab);
 	}
 
-	public tabBarControllerDidSelectViewController(tabBarController: UITabBarController, viewController: UIViewController): void {
-		if (Trace.isEnabled()) {
-			Trace.write('TabView.delegate.DID_select(' + tabBarController + ', ' + viewController + ');', Trace.categories.Debug);
+	public tabBarControllerDidSelectTabPreviousTab(tabBarController: UITabBarController, selectedTab: UITab, previousTab: UITab): void {
+		if (tabBarController.viewControllers) {
+			return;
+		}
+
+		this._didSelect(tabBarController, selectedTab.viewController);
+	}
+
+	private _shouldSelect(tabBarController: UITabBarController, isAlreadySelected: boolean): boolean {
+		const owner = this._owner?.deref();
+		if (owner) {
+			// "< More" cannot be visible after clicking on the main tab bar buttons.
+			owner._handleTwoNavigationBars(false);
 		}
 
+		return !isAlreadySelected;
+	}
+
+	private _didSelect(tabBarController: UITabBarController, viewController: UIViewController): void {
 		const owner = this._owner?.deref();
 		if (owner) {
 			// iOS lazily initializes moreNavigationController (e.g. on first access of
@@ -170,7 +191,7 @@ class UINavigationControllerDelegateImpl extends NSObject implements UINavigatio
 		if (owner) {
 			// If viewController is one of our tab item controllers, then "< More" will be visible shortly.
 			// Otherwise viewController is the UIMoreListController which shows the list of all tabs beyond the 4th tab.
-			const backToMoreWillBeVisible = navigationController.tabBarController?.viewControllers?.containsObject(viewController);
+			const backToMoreWillBeVisible = owner._indexOfViewController(navigationController.tabBarController, viewController) > -1;
 			owner._handleTwoNavigationBars(backToMoreWillBeVisible);
 		}
 	}
@@ -443,15 +464,37 @@ export class TabView extends TabViewBase {
 		if (Trace.isEnabled()) {
 			Trace.write('TabView._onViewControllerShown(' + viewController + ');', Trace.categories.Debug);
 		}
-		if (tabBarController?.viewControllers && tabBarController.viewControllers.containsObject(viewController)) {
-			this.selectedIndex = tabBarController.viewControllers.indexOfObject(viewController);
+		const index = this._indexOfViewController(tabBarController, viewController);
+		if (index > -1) {
+			this.selectedIndex = index;
 		} else {
 			if (Trace.isEnabled()) {
 				Trace.write('TabView._onViewControllerShown: viewController is not one of our viewControllers', Trace.categories.Debug);
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
+	public _indexOfViewController(tabBarController: UITabBarController, viewController: UIViewController): number {
+		if (!tabBarController || !viewController) {
+			return -1;
+		}
+
+		if (tabBarController.viewControllers) {
+			return tabBarController.viewControllers.containsObject(viewController) ? tabBarController.viewControllers.indexOfObject(viewController) : -1;
+		}
+
+		// Controllers configured through tabs are not reported by viewControllers.
+		const tabs = SDK_VERSION >= 18 ? tabBarController.tabs : null;
+		for (let i = 0; i < (tabs?.count ?? 0); i++) {
+			const tab = tabs.objectAtIndex(i);
+			if (tab.viewController === viewController) {
+				return parseInt(tab.identifier);
+			}
+		}
+
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	public _handleTwoNavigationBars(backToMoreWillBeVisible: boolean) {
 		if (Trace.isEnabled()) {
 			Trace.write(`TabView._handleTwoNavigationBars(backToMoreWillBeVisible: ${backToMoreWillBeVisible})`, Trace.categories.Debug);
@@ -551,14 +594,20 @@ export class TabView extends TabViewBase {
 			// iOS 18+: build UITab instances and assign them to the controller.
 			const tabs = [];
 			const controllers = [];
+			let prominentIdentifier: string = null;
+			let searchIdentifier: string = null;
 			items.forEach((item, i) => {
 				const controller = this.getViewController(item);
 				controllers.push(controller);
 				const icon = this._getIcon(item);
 				const title = item.title || '';
 				const identifier = `${i}`;
 				let tab: UITab;
+				if (item.role === 'prominent') {
+					prominentIdentifier ??= identifier;
+				}
 				if (item.role === 'search') {
+					searchIdentifier ??= identifier;
 					tab = UISearchTab.alloc().initWithTitleImageIdentifierViewControllerProvider(title, icon, identifier, (t) => {
 						return controller;
 					});
@@ -576,7 +625,13 @@ export class TabView extends TabViewBase {
 				// Prefer animated setter when available.
 				this._ios.tabs = NSArray.arrayWithArray(tabs);
 			} catch (e) {}
-			this._ios.viewControllers = NSArray.arrayWithArray(controllers);
+			if (SDK_VERSION >= 27) {
+				// Assigning viewControllers replaces the tabs configuration on iOS 27+, dropping UISearchTab placement.
+				// Search tabs are only separated by default when they automatically activate search.
+				this._ios.prominentTabIdentifier = prominentIdentifier ?? searchIdentifier;
+			} else {
+				this._ios.viewControllers = NSArray.arrayWithArray(controllers);
+			}
 			this._ios.customizableViewControllers = null;
 		} else {
 			// iOS < 18: keep using UITabBarItem-based configuration.