diff --git a/core/src/utils/hardware-back-button.ts b/core/src/utils/hardware-back-button.ts
index 2c79e3cfaa7..25b9423bf82 100644
--- a/core/src/utils/hardware-back-button.ts
+++ b/core/src/utils/hardware-back-button.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-import { win } from '@utils/browser';
 import type { CloseWatcher } from '@utils/browser';
+import { win } from '@utils/browser';
 import { printIonError } from '@utils/logging';
 
 import { config } from '../global/config';
@@ -69,6 +69,21 @@ export const startHardwareBackButton = () => {
     });
     doc.dispatchEvent(ev);
 
+    /**
+     * If no handlers have been registered, fall back to the default
+     * behavior of navigating back in history. This ensures the hardware
+     * back button works even when no router or custom handler is present.
+     */
+    if (handlers.length === 0) {
+      handlers.push({
+        priority: FALLBACK_BACK_BUTTON_PRIORITY,
+        handler: () => {
+          win?.history.back();
+        },
+        id: index++,
+      });
+    }
+
     const executeAction = async (handlerRegister: HandlerRegister | undefined) => {
       try {
         if (handlerRegister?.handler) {
@@ -138,3 +153,4 @@ export const startHardwareBackButton = () => {
 
 export const OVERLAY_BACK_BUTTON_PRIORITY = 100;
 export const MENU_BACK_BUTTON_PRIORITY = 99; // 1 less than overlay priority since menu is displayed behind overlays
+const FALLBACK_BACK_BUTTON_PRIORITY = -1; // Fallback when no other handlers are registered
diff --git a/core/src/utils/test/hardware-back-button.spec.ts b/core/src/utils/test/hardware-back-button.spec.ts
index 87f27d407cc..bd0885a068d 100644
--- a/core/src/utils/test/hardware-back-button.spec.ts
+++ b/core/src/utils/test/hardware-back-button.spec.ts
@@ -54,6 +54,47 @@ describe('Hardware Back Button', () => {
     dispatchBackButtonEvent();
     expect(cbSpyTwo).toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
+
+  it('should fall back to history.back() when no handlers are registered', () => {
+    const historyBackSpy = jest.fn();
+    const originalBack = win?.history?.back;
+    if (win?.history) {
+      win.history.back = historyBackSpy;
+    }
+
+    // Don't register any ionBackButton handlers
+    dispatchBackButtonEvent();
+
+    expect(historyBackSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    // Restore original
+    if (win?.history && originalBack) {
+      win.history.back = originalBack;
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('should not call history.back() when a handler is registered', () => {
+    const historyBackSpy = jest.fn();
+    const originalBack = win?.history?.back;
+    if (win?.history) {
+      win.history.back = historyBackSpy;
+    }
+
+    const cbSpy = jest.fn();
+    document.addEventListener('ionBackButton', (ev) => {
+      (ev as BackButtonEvent).detail.register(0, cbSpy);
+    });
+
+    dispatchBackButtonEvent();
+
+    expect(cbSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(historyBackSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    // Restore original
+    if (win?.history && originalBack) {
+      win.history.back = originalBack;
+    }
+  });
 });
 
 describe('Experimental Close Watcher', () => {