Tab bar icon and title not showing with Storyboard References

Question

I have the following storyboard with a segue to a storyboard reference:

The problem is that when I run the app, it doesn't show the icon or the title:

These are the item settings:

What am I missing?

Answer 1

Here's how to get the tab to show properly:

1. Put the first UIViewController that will be embedded in the tab in the same storyboard as the UITabViewController.
2. Ctrl + Drag from the tab bar controller to the content view controller to make the connection as per usual. This will automatically add the UITabBarItem to the bottom of the content view controller.
3. Select the content view controller.
4. Click the Editor menu and choose Refactor to Storyboard...

The UITabBarController tab will now point to the new storyboard reference... ... and the content view controller preserves the UITabBarItem from the tab bar relationship. It will appear normally in the app now.

Answer 2

You can modify image/title of the tab bar item in the initial view controller of the storyboard you are referring to. You just need to add a 'tab bar item' to the initial view controller and change its properties (title/image) accordingly.

1. Outline view of the root view controller in the referred storyboard

2. The modified tab bar item in the view controller

Note: the change will not be reflected on the tab bar in the main storyboard; you only see it in the referred storyboard and at runtime.