fix(tabs): select correct tab when routes have similar prefixes (#30863)

Issue number: resolves #30448 

---------

<!-- Please do not submit updates to dependencies unless it fixes an
issue. -->

<!-- Please try to limit your pull request to one type (bugfix, feature,
etc). Submit multiple pull requests if needed. -->

## What is the current behavior?

When using ion-tabs with routes that share a common prefix (e.g.,
`/home`, `/home2`, `/home3`), navigating to `/home2` incorrectly
highlights the `/home` tab. This occurs because the tab matching logic
uses `pathname.startsWith(href)`, which causes `/home2` to match `/home`
since `/home2` starts with `/home`.

## What is the new behavior?

Tab selection now uses path segment matching instead of simple prefix
matching. A tab's href will only match if the pathname is an exact match
OR starts with the href followed by a / (for nested routes). This
ensures /home2 no longer incorrectly matches /home, while still allowing
/home/details to correctly match the /home tab.

## Does this introduce a breaking change?

- [ ] Yes
- [X] No

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1. Describe the impact and migration path for existing applications
below.
  2. Update the BREAKING.md file with the breaking change.
3. Add "BREAKING CHANGE: [...]" to the commit description when merging.
See
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## Other information

<!-- Any other information that is important to this PR such as
screenshots of how the component looks before and after the change. -->

Current dev build:
```
8.7.13-dev.11765486444.14025098
```

---------

Co-authored-by: Maria Hutt <thetaPC@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: Brandy Smith <brandyscarney@users.noreply.github.com>

packages/react/test/base/src/App.tsx

@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import Tabs from './pages/Tabs';
 import TabsBasic from './pages/TabsBasic';
 import NavComponent from './pages/navigation/NavComponent';
 import TabsDirectNavigation from './pages/TabsDirectNavigation';
+import TabsSimilarPrefixes from './pages/TabsSimilarPrefixes';
 import IonModalConditional from './pages/overlay-components/IonModalConditional';
 import IonModalConditionalSibling from './pages/overlay-components/IonModalConditionalSibling';
 import IonModalDatetimeButton from './pages/overlay-components/IonModalDatetimeButton';
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@ const App: React.FC = () => (
         <Route path="/tabs" component={Tabs} />
         <Route path="/tabs-basic" component={TabsBasic} />
         <Route path="/tabs-direct-navigation" component={TabsDirectNavigation} />
+        <Route path="/tabs-similar-prefixes" component={TabsSimilarPrefixes} />
         <Route path="/icons" component={Icons} />
         <Route path="/inputs" component={Inputs} />
         <Route path="/reorder-group" component={ReorderGroup} />

packages/react/test/base/src/pages/Main.tsx

@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@ const Main: React.FC<MainProps> = () => {
           <IonItem routerLink="/tabs-direct-navigation">
             <IonLabel>Tabs with Direct Navigation</IonLabel>
           </IonItem>
+          <IonItem routerLink="/tabs-similar-prefixes">
+            <IonLabel>Tabs with Similar Route Prefixes</IonLabel>
+          </IonItem>
           <IonItem routerLink="/icons">
             <IonLabel>Icons</IonLabel>
           </IonItem>

packages/react/test/base/src/pages/TabsSimilarPrefixes.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+import {
+  IonContent,
+  IonHeader,
+  IonIcon,
+  IonLabel,
+  IonPage,
+  IonRouterOutlet,
+  IonTabBar,
+  IonTabButton,
+  IonTabs,
+  IonTitle,
+  IonToolbar,
+} from '@ionic/react';
+import { homeOutline, radioOutline, libraryOutline } from 'ionicons/icons';
+import React from 'react';
+import { Route, Redirect } from 'react-router-dom';
+
+const HomePage: React.FC = () => (
+  <IonPage data-testid="home-page">
+    <IonHeader>
+      <IonToolbar>
+        <IonTitle>Home</IonTitle>
+      </IonToolbar>
+    </IonHeader>
+    <IonContent>
+      <div data-testid="home-content">Home Content</div>
+    </IonContent>
+  </IonPage>
+);
+
+const Home2Page: React.FC = () => (
+  <IonPage data-testid="home2-page">
+    <IonHeader>
+      <IonToolbar>
+        <IonTitle>Home 2</IonTitle>
+      </IonToolbar>
+    </IonHeader>
+    <IonContent>
+      <div data-testid="home2-content">Home 2 Content</div>
+    </IonContent>
+  </IonPage>
+);
+
+const Home3Page: React.FC = () => (
+  <IonPage data-testid="home3-page">
+    <IonHeader>
+      <IonToolbar>
+        <IonTitle>Home 3</IonTitle>
+      </IonToolbar>
+    </IonHeader>
+    <IonContent>
+      <div data-testid="home3-content">Home 3 Content</div>
+    </IonContent>
+  </IonPage>
+);
+
+const TabsSimilarPrefixes: React.FC = () => {
+  return (
+    <IonTabs data-testid="tabs-similar-prefixes">
+      <IonRouterOutlet>
+        <Redirect exact path="/tabs-similar-prefixes" to="/tabs-similar-prefixes/home" />
+        <Route path="/tabs-similar-prefixes/home" render={() => <HomePage />} exact={true} />
+        <Route path="/tabs-similar-prefixes/home2" render={() => <Home2Page />} exact={true} />
+        <Route path="/tabs-similar-prefixes/home3" render={() => <Home3Page />} exact={true} />
+      </IonRouterOutlet>
+
+      <IonTabBar slot="bottom" data-testid="tab-bar">
+        <IonTabButton tab="home" href="/tabs-similar-prefixes/home" data-testid="home-tab">
+          <IonIcon icon={homeOutline}></IonIcon>
+          <IonLabel>Home</IonLabel>
+        </IonTabButton>
+
+        <IonTabButton tab="home2" href="/tabs-similar-prefixes/home2" data-testid="home2-tab">
+          <IonIcon icon={radioOutline}></IonIcon>
+          <IonLabel>Home 2</IonLabel>
+        </IonTabButton>
+
+        <IonTabButton tab="home3" href="/tabs-similar-prefixes/home3" data-testid="home3-tab">
+          <IonIcon icon={libraryOutline}></IonIcon>
+          <IonLabel>Home 3</IonLabel>
+        </IonTabButton>
+      </IonTabBar>
+    </IonTabs>
+  );
+};
+
+export default TabsSimilarPrefixes;

packages/react/test/base/tests/e2e/specs/tabs/tabs.cy.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,45 @@
 describe('IonTabs', () => {
+  /**
+   * Verifies that tabs with similar route prefixes (e.g., /home, /home2, /home3)
+   * correctly select the matching tab instead of the first prefix match.
+   * 
+   * @see https://github.com/ionic-team/ionic-framework/issues/30448
+   */
+  describe('Similar Route Prefixes', () => {
+    it('should select the correct tab when routes have similar prefixes', () => {
+      cy.visit('/tabs-similar-prefixes/home2');
+
+      cy.get('[data-testid="home2-content"]').should('be.visible');
+      cy.get('[data-testid="home2-tab"]').should('have.class', 'tab-selected');
+      cy.get('[data-testid="home-tab"]').should('not.have.class', 'tab-selected');
+    });
+
+    it('should select the correct tab when navigating via tab buttons', () => {
+      cy.visit('/tabs-similar-prefixes/home');
+
+      cy.get('[data-testid="home-tab"]').should('have.class', 'tab-selected');
+      cy.get('[data-testid="home2-tab"]').should('not.have.class', 'tab-selected');
+
+      cy.get('[data-testid="home2-tab"]').click();
+      cy.get('[data-testid="home2-tab"]').should('have.class', 'tab-selected');
+      cy.get('[data-testid="home-tab"]').should('not.have.class', 'tab-selected');
+
+      cy.get('[data-testid="home3-tab"]').click();
+      cy.get('[data-testid="home3-tab"]').should('have.class', 'tab-selected');
+      cy.get('[data-testid="home-tab"]').should('not.have.class', 'tab-selected');
+      cy.get('[data-testid="home2-tab"]').should('not.have.class', 'tab-selected');
+    });
+
+    it('should select the correct tab when directly navigating to home3', () => {
+      cy.visit('/tabs-similar-prefixes/home3');
+
+      cy.get('[data-testid="home3-content"]').should('be.visible');
+      cy.get('[data-testid="home3-tab"]').should('have.class', 'tab-selected');
+      cy.get('[data-testid="home-tab"]').should('not.have.class', 'tab-selected');
+      cy.get('[data-testid="home2-tab"]').should('not.have.class', 'tab-selected');
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('With IonRouterOutlet', () => {
     beforeEach(() => {
       cy.visit('/tabs/tab1');