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How to solve a Rubik’s cube | Step by Step Instructions | 5 Easy Steps

For this tutorial, we will teach you to solve the Rubik’s cube by layer by layer in 5 easy steps:

STEP 1  -  COMPLETE THE FIRST LAYER CROSS STEP 2  -  COMPLETE THE FIRST LAYER CORNERS   STEP 3  -  COMPLETE SECOND LAYER STEP 4  -  COMPLETE THE THIRD LAYER CROSS STEP 5  -  COMPLETE THE THIRD LAYER CORNERS

The correct Spelling is Rubik's Cube, but some people also refer to this popular puzzle as Magic Cube, Rubic, Rubix, Rubics

Full Video tutorial below:

STEP 1 - COMPLETE THE FIRST LAYER CROSS

• Keep WHITE centre on top
• Put the GREEN centre piece in front (facing you) 
• Find the GREEN/ WHITE edge piece (it only has 2 colours) and turn it to one of the positions shown below (keeping white on top and green in front)
• Choose the options below that matches your situation and follow the arrow steps to place the GREEN/ WHITE edge piece in place.

STEP 2 - COMPLETE THE FIRST LAYER CORNERS

• Keep WHITE on top
• Find the GREEN/WHITE/RED corner (it has 3 colours) and place it in one of the positions below ( without disturbing the white cross )
• Choose from the steps below to place the GREEN/WHITE/RED corner  piece in place without disturbing the white cross. 

Possible Problem: The corner you are looking for is in the top layer, but in the wrong position or turned the wrong way around. Turn the cube so that the corner is in the front right top corner then move the corner to the bottom layer by following the following steps.

Keeping white on top, turn the cube so that a different colour face is toward you. Follow the above instructions again. Repeat with the other two faces until the white layer is complete.

• Find the GREEN/RED edge piece 
• If it is in the bottom layer, then turn the bottom layer to match the edge with the centre colour (see fig below). 
• If the edge is not in the bottom layer, then go to Step C
• Choose from the steps below to place the edge piece in place.

Possible Problem: The edge piece you want to move is in the second layer, but in the wrong position or the wrong way around.

Solution: Turn the cube so that the edge is in the front layer then do either solution above to move the piece into the bottom row. The go back to step 4 above.

• Turn the cube over (white is now on the bottom and yellow on top )
• You should find that there is 0, 2 or 4 pieces (of the cross) facing upward. Ignore the corners for now.  
• The idea is firstly to get the yellow cross and secondly to turn swap pieces to the correct position in the cross.
• Perform the algorithm below to get to the yellow cross.  Make sure your cube is orientated is shown in the image.

Repeat this algorithm till you get the yellow cross

You will now have 4 or 2 edge pieces in the correct place. Matching with the center colors. Ensure the correct edge pieces are at the back and right face . Use the algorithm below to put the edge pieces in the correct position. 

Possible Problem: Two pieces that are in the correct position are opposite each other.

Solution: Perform the steps above once and then turn the cube like the one shown above and perform the steps again. 

STEP 5  -  COMPLETE THE THIRD LAYER CORNERS (1) First we will put the corners in the correct position (A). You will now have either 0, 1 or ALL the corners pieces will be in their correct positions, either the right way up or reversed. If one corner piece is in the correct corner turn the cube to that this correct corner is in the front top right position. The piece is in the correct position, BUT may not be turned the correct way around. 

Repeat the sequence until all the corners are in the correct position.

Possible Problem: None of the corners is in the correct position. Solution: Perform the steps in (A) once with ANY side facing you (YELLOW at the top). Now one corner will be in the correct position. Proceed with (A) above.

The next steps will turn the corners (one by one) the correct way and ultimately solve the cube.

NOTE: THIS ROUTINE MAY APPEAR TO UPSET THE REST OF THE CUBE. DO NOT DESPAIR AND KEEP THE SAME SIDE FACING YOU IT WILL ONLY BE SOLVED ONCE THE LAST CORNER IS ORIENTATED.  

Repeat the moves until the YELLOW side of the corner piece is on top. You may have to do it 2-3 times.

KEEP THE SAME SIDE FACING YOU .    Rotate the TOP LAYER until the next corner piece to be rotated is in the top right position. Repeat the above sequence until the YELLOW side of the corner that you are rotating is on top. Continue the process until the cube is complete.

 Full Video tutorial below:

These instructions are also included in the " How To Solve the Rubik's Cube Compact Book " 

Alternatively you can download a digital copy here >>  Print Friendly PDF - Rubik's cube Beginners Guide

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Rubik’s Cube

Rubik's cube simulator.

Play with the online cube simulator on your computer or on your mobile phone.

Drag the pieces to make a face rotation or outside the cube to rotate the puzzle.

Apply a random scramble or go to full screen with the buttons.

Rubik's Cube Solver

Calculate the solution for a scrambled cube puzzle in only 20 steps.

Set up the scramble pattern, press the Solve button and follow the instructions.

Use the color picker, apply an algorithm or use a random scramble.

How to solve the Rubik's Cube

The beginner's solution guide with images and easy to follow instructions.

Knowing how to solve the Rubik's Cube is an amazing skill and it's not so hard to learn if you are patient. You'll realize that you don't have to be a genius to get it done.

In this tutorial we are going to use the easiest layer-by-layer method.

White Edges

Let's start with the white face. Try to form a plus sign on the top of the cube, matching the colors of the side stickers to the colors of the lateral centers. This step shouldn't be too hard, try to do this without reading the examples below.

We can easily insert the edge to the top if you move it to the highlighted bottom-front spot first. Depending on where the white sticker is facing do the rotations.

When the white edge is stuck between two solved edges (last image) you can send it to the bottom layer doing this:

Turns in the opposite direction are marked with an apostrophe.

Finish The White Face

First put the white corner that belongs to the spot marked with the upper arrow in either of the highlighted positions. Next repeat the algorithm below until the white piece comes to its desired destination.

At the end your cube should have a solid white face with the lateral stickers matching the lateral centers.

Center Layer

Turn your cube upside down because we don't need to work with the white face anymore. We can insert an edge piece from the top-front position to the middle layer using a trick. Do the left or right algorithm depending on which side you have to insert the piece:

You'll have two solved layers when you finish this stage. We're almost there.

Yellow Cross

Inspect the top of your cube. You see a yellow cross, a line, an L-shape or a dot. Our goal is to form a yellow cross.

F R U R' U' F'

Use this algorithm to shift from one state to the other.

We have a yellow cross on the top but the edges are not in their final position. They need to match the side colors.

R U R' U R U U R' U

Use this to swap the front and left yellow edges in the top layer.

Cycle Corners

Only the yellow corners are left unsolved at this point. Now we are going to put them in their final position and we'll rotate them in the last step.

Use the algorithm below to cycle the pieces in the direction marked with the arrows while the top-right-front piece is standing still.

Orient Corners

Everything is positioned, we just have to orient the yellow corners. We use the same algorithm that we used for solving the white corners in the second step:

This step can be confusing for most people so read the explanation very carefully and do exactly what it says!

Important! During the process it might seem that you have messed up the whole cube but don't worry because it will come together if you do it correctly, following the instructions.

Video Tutorial

Watch these steps being explaind in this video:

• S Deviation:
• Best 3 of 5:
• Best 10 of 12:

Measure your solution times on your journey of becoming a speedcuber!

Use your Space button or click the clock to start and stop the cube timer.

With scramble generator and instant statistics calculator.

Rubik's Cube Solver 3x3x3 - Grubiks

Ready to solve, instructions.

Update: New and improved version. Faster, better, and supports more devices.

Grubiks team is proud to present the best online Rubik’s Cube Solver! Used by millions around the world - this rubik’s cube solving website will show you how to solve any valid scramble with an easy to follow step-by-step solution.

Since its appearance in the 1970’s, the Rubik’s Cube quickly became one of the most loved and challenging puzzles of all time. It has stumped even the greatest minds around. Even the professor who invented it - Erno Rubik, thought it would be impossible to solve.

However, over the years, many algorithms for solving the Rubik's Cube were developed, and today, learning how to solve the Rubik’s Cube is merely a task of following a series of steps and memorizing some algorithms.

The 3D Rubik’s Cube solver on Grubiks was developed so people would be able to solve the Rubik’s Cube without having to learn and memorize these methods. If you have an old scrambled cube just lying around the house, if you’re trying to learn how to solve it on your own and just need a “reset”, if you're looking for algorithms for patterns, or even if you just want to impress your friends - this solver is perfect for you.

When the solver starts you’ll be presented with a completely white Rubik’s Cube and a color palette just above it. Pick a color from the palette and click / tap the tiles of the Rubik’s Cube you would like to paint with it. Keep coloring until the cube in the solver is colored exactly like the one you have in your hand. When you’re done, simply tap the “Solve” button, and you will immediately be presented with a step-by-step solution. Follow the instructions and click the “Next” button to view the next step.

Don’t forget to share this solver if you liked it, and as always we would love any feedback you might have.

Comments 3644

ahmed seakh

Philippe Shoiry

Write a comment!

Are you sure, coloring issues.., isn't grubiks awesome.

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How to Solve a Rubik's Cube (Beginner's Method)

Introduction.

The Rubik's cube is the world’s most-sold toy, and you’ve probably come across one. You’ve probably picked it up and tried to play around with it too, turning the sides in hopes of matching at least a few of the pieces. But solving the Rubik's cube on your own without any help is a very difficult feat. It took the creator, Erno Rubik, two months himself! 

This blog aims to serve as your guide into the world of Rubik's cube solving and your journey towards completing the cube. 

Still struggling to solve the cube?

The cube has 6 sides, each representing a colour - white, yellow, blue, green, orange and red. 

There are three types of pieces - 

• Centres - these remain fixed and serve as a guideline to solve the puzzle. On a solved cube, all the pieces of a particular colour surround the centre of that colour. On a scrambled cube, the centre represents the side on which the pieces of a particular colour are supposed to be. 
• Corners - As the name suggests, the corner pieces are located on the corners of the cube. Each piece is made up of three different colours. There are 8 corners on any cube shape, and thus there are 8 corners on the Rubik's cube. 
• Edges - The edges are the pieces between two corners. They are made up of two colours. There are 12 edges on the Rubik's cube. 

3. Notation

The [] notate the movement of the layer from the natural holding position for a better understanding 

• R - Right side clockwise [Right side upwards]
• R’ - Right side anticlockwise [Right side downwards]
• L -  Left side clockwise [Left side downwards]
• L’ - Left side anticlockwise [Left side upwards] (Note: L and R may be confusing at first since the moves are opposite to each other)
• F - Front side clockwise 
• F’ - Front side anticlockwise
• U - Upper face clockwise
• U’ - Upper face anticlockwise

How is the Cube Solved?

A common misconception is that the cube is solved one colour at a time. This is simply not possible because of the nature of the pieces and the design of the cube. Instead, we approach the cube layer by layer. The bottom layer is solved first, the middle layer next and the last layer towards the end, building the layer up on the previous one. 

The method covered in this blog is known as the beginner’s method. In the beginner’s method, the solve is divided into 6 steps - 

• White cross
• White corners
• Non-yellow edges
• Yellow cross
• Yellow corners and edges
• Completing the top layer

Let’s dive into each step now. 

Step 1:- First layer 

White cross.

The cross is commonly started off on white and this tutorial uses white as the starting layer as well. The steps to solve the cross are enlisted below. 

• Locate any white edge on your cube and identify the non-white part of the edge (an edge has two colours, so a white edge would have a white part and a different coloured non-white part). 
• Match the non-white part to its own centre by hit and trial - this should be easy to do in 2-3 moves. 
• Once the piece has matched its centre, rotate the piece so that the white part matches the white centre as well. 

After matching all the layers, the cube will look like this

White Corners 

• Start off by positioning your cube so that the white centre is at the bottom. 
• Locate a white corner in the top layer. Identify the non-white parts of the white corner.
• Move the top layer until the white corner ends up between the corresponding centres of the non-white parts (refer to image). 
• Perform the algorithm - R U R’ U’ until the white corner is correctly solved. 
• Repeat for all white corners. 

Step 2:- Second layer 

1. non-yellow edges, algorithms used  .

• U R U’ R’ U’ F’ U F. [centre on right]
• U’ L’ U L U F U’ F’. [centre on the left]

The second layer works on the positioning of non-yellow edges: 

• Locate a non-yellow edge. 
• Identify the part of the edge in front of you and match it with the centre of the same colour by turning the top layer. 
• Identify the part of the edge connected to the yellow centre and locate the corresponding centre. 
• If the centre is on the right side of the current position of the cube, use the first algorithm If not, use the second algorithm.

After applying the algorithm to all other pieces, the cube will look like this

Step 3: Last Layer 

1. yellow cross - f r u r’ u’ f’.

The yellow cross can be divided into three cases. The algorithm used for each case is the same, however, the initial positions vary. Identify the case on your cube and position it according to the corresponding position in the image. Simply repeat the algorithm until the cross is solved. 

2. Positioning last layer edges - R U R’ U R U2 R’ 

We now match the edges in the last layer to their centres. Match any one edge of the top layer with its centre in the middle layer. Now, repeat the algorithm until all edges match their centres.

3. Last layer corners - U R U’ L’ U R’ U’ L

4. Top layer corners -  R’ D’ R D

With this final step, the cube is finally solved

Congratulations on completing the cube! While the first-time solving is confusing, remember that you get better with each solve. It typically takes at least 5-10 solves to get comfortable with a new method, so keep practising. 

Once you’re comfortable with solving the cube, you may also start timing yourself. This would mark the start of your journey into the world of speedcubing. Find out more about how to start your cubing journey and the essentials required to do so, as well as how to improve !

About Author

Avani Sood from Bengaluru has won 12 female national records overall and has been competing for the past 4 years. She started cubing when she was 11. Her main event is Megaminx. Apart from cubing, she loves to cook and read. She has participated in 10 competitions and won 1 podium. 

13 comments

Hey kid, you are insulting us. we don’t have time to do this silly things so that’s why we are not interested

I dont understand Positioning last layer edges.

Yes 4 is correct it gets worse before better just keep going.

Thank you for this feedback😁

Jijo joseph

Last step is wrong i cant do that

Can’t understand what do you mean by ‘last layer corners’ and ‘top layer corners’? Are they same? Can you please explain what do you mean by ‘last layer’ and what is ‘top layer’?

I can’t do the last one

i dont get it

Ansh Shukla

Please send me the list of solving

Nm I figured it out! Thank you!! X)

Can you confirm #4 is right please? wordings are not very clear

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How to Solve The Rubik's Cube

If you're reading this, you're probably holding a cube in your hand and already feeling bad about yourself for needing to look up the solution. But don't worry! In fact, most of the “super-human-intelligence beings” (a common misconception) who have solved the cube thousands of times in their lifetimes were sitting as you are now. Whether you want to learn it to impress a girl, because your friends bet you couldn't, or just to close the book on the biggest time waste of your childhood by finally defeating it, this guide will take you through the simplest way to conquer the puzzle.

The necessary steps are listed below. Click on a cube to jump on the page to the selected chapter:

An important thing to note is that this task is not a light one. It may require several hours of attempts. If you'd rather just solve the cube in your hand and forget about it rather than being able to solve any cube you're given, there are plenty of solvers available on the web. However, the satisfaction of holding a completed Rubik's Cube in your hand and thinking “I did that, and I can do it again” is greater than most, mainly due to the fact that the puzzle has been present in all our lives at some point. By the mid 1980's, an estimated fifth of the world's population had attempted to solve the cube. If you want to stand out and say that you can defeat the puzzle, time and determination is a large factor.

If you're still reading, congratulations on not being put off by the time requirements! The first thing you are going to need to know about solving the cube is how the turns you make can be represented by letters. Later on in this guide, you're going to need a few algorithms. These are combinations of moves that rotate pieces or just move them around to get them where you want them. These algorithms are written using this notation, so you can always come back to this section if you've forgotten by the time we need them.

There are six sides on the puzzle, referred to as faces, all of which can be turned individually: Up, Down, Left, Right, Front and Back.

The notation for each of these is U, D, L, R, F and B respectively. These faces can be turned in three different ways/directions, however. These are:

• U – Refers to a clockwise quarter turn of the upper face.
• U' ­ – Refers to a counter-clockwise quarter turn of the upper face
• U2 – Refers to a half turn in either direction of the upper face.

That's it! For a visualisation of each of these turns, click the letters in the animation widget.

There is an advanced notation which includes turns of the middle layers, rotations and “double” turns, but these aren't needed for this guide. If you're still interested in learning them, check them out in the advanced Rubik's notation.

Try it yourself! Take your cube and perform the following short algorithm: U' L R2 D B' F U2 R'

The left, back, and lower faces might be confusing at first when trying to figure out the clockwise direction, but with a little practice you'll get used to it.

Step 1: The Cross

The cross is the first step in the actual solution of the puzzle. This step can be a bit confusing at first, so make sure you read this a few times whilst attempting it yourself. The image shows the end goal of this step.

The centre pieces on each face, as you may have noticed from playing around with the cube, can't be moved to another spot, only rotated. So we can use this to our advantage by building around the centres. The best centre to build your first cross around is the white centre, as many guides and resources on the web start with a white face, so if you need to look up some steps and examples elsewhere, your cube will look similar to the one that is being used in other demonstrations.

The first thing you want to do is get the white plus on top. You don't need to worry about the matching centres (the orange and blue parts of the above image) just yet.

For now, just get each white edge on the top layer. It doesn't matter if the white bit is on top at the moment. For example, your cube could look like the one pictured. It doesn't matter if all of the white bits are facing up or none of them are.

The next step is to flip some of the edges so all of the white stickers face upwards, making a plus (pictured above). If your cube already has the cross, skip this part. Hold the cube so that one of the edges that needs to be flipped is facing you.

Then apply this algorithm: F R' D' R F2

This algorithm will flip the edge so the white part is facing upwards. Do this for every edge until you have a white cross on top.

Now you need to orient these pieces. Refer to the next picture. As you can see, the orange piece matches the orange centre. Look at the edges on your puzzle. You could have none matching, two matching or all matching. If you have all four edges matching the centres, your cross is solved. If you have none matching, perform a U move, then look around the cube again. You want to have at least two matching. If none of them match, do another U move. Repeat until you have either two or four edges matching their centres.

Your goal is to have all four edges matching their centres. If you have this, then the cross is solved. If you have only two, then you could have one of two cases. Either the two matching edges are adjacent (next to each other) or opposite each other. If they are adjacent, hold the cube so that the two solved pieces are facing the front and left of the cube (shown in the left picture), then perform:

R' U R U' R'

If the two matching edges are opposite one another, hold the cube so that they are on the left and right faces (shown in the right picture) and perform the following algorithm to swap the one in the back and in the front:

R2 L2 U2 R2 L2

Your cross is now solved!

Step 2: The White Corners

Now you've done the edges on the white face, all that's left are the corners. This step is much simpler, as it only requires one algorithm. The picture shows the end goal of this step.

Look on the bottom layer of the puzzle. You're looking for the white-orange-green corner. There is a 50% chance it will be on the bottom layer. Follow the following steps depending on where the corner is for you.

Bottom If the corner is on the bottom of the puzzle, perform the required D moves so that the corner is in the position marked in pink on the picture. Perform this algorithm as many times as is needed to put the corner in its place:

Top If the corner is on the top of the puzzle, hold the cube so that the corner is in the position marked in purple on the image, and perform the same algorithm as before:

Now the corner is on the bottom, so you can do the above instructions.

Repeat this process for each corner until the top layer is solved. I suggest you to start with the corners in the bottom layer because solving these first might pop out some white pieces from the top layer and you might save a couple turns.

Step 3: Middle Layer Edges

You're 1/3 done (kinda)! You're done with all white pieces, so you can now flip your cube so white is on the bottom.

Look for an edge that is on the top face and doesn't have yellow on it. There's a very small chance that there won't be any, but there are instructions for that case below. Perform a U move so that the colour on the front face of the edge is matching with the centre. There are two directions that the edge could go, left or right.

If the edge needs to go in the gap to the left of it perform the following algorithm:

U' L' U L U F U' F'

If the edge needs to go in the gap to the right of it do this:

U R U' R' U' F' U F

If there are no more edges left on the top layer, then they are probably either inserted in the right place but flipped, or inserted in the wrong place. To get an edge out of somewhere it shouldn't be, just insert one of the yellow edges into that slot. This should get the edge out and on the top layer, ready for you to use the above instructions to insert correctly.

Repeat this process for all four middle edges.

Step 4: Yellow Cross

We're nearly there now. 2/3 of the puzzle is solved, and every piece left to be solved has yellow on it somewhere. That's a good sign… right?

We're going to solve the top layer edges in two steps. In this step will orient all of the pieces so that the yellow face is facing up for all of them. The next will move these pieces around and thus solve the cube.

Ignore the corners for now. You want to look at the edges only. Either none, all, or two of the edges will already be oriented correctly (the yellow part is facing up).

These are the four possible edge positions that you can have:

If the edges are solved in a plus shape like the cross we made at the start (the last image), you can skip this stage.

Beside the solved cross you can also have a  “Dot” , an “L” shape  or a  “Line” as pictured above. To transform the Magic Cube from one state to the other, you have to apply the following short algorithm, watching out for the L shape and the line to be positioned as required:

F R U R' U' F'

If you are in a hurry you can speed up the process by doing two jumps at once with this:

F U R U' R' F'

When you have an “L” shape , where the two yellow pieces showing are adjacent one another. Do the required number of U or U' moves to get this L as shown in the picture: the corner that the two edges trap needs to be in the top left. Then perform this algorithm:

If done correctly, you should now be looking at the yellow cross.

The third image shows the “Line” shape , where the two yellow pieces showing are opposite one another. Make sure that the yellow bar (the two edges and the middle sticker) is horizontal, then do:

You should now be looking at four edges all oriented correctly.

For the “Dot”  case shown in the first picture, just do either of these algorithms to get a different case.

Step 5: Sune and Antisune

Sune is a very simple algorithm that many puzzlers love due to its simplicity compared to other algorithms that they may have had to learn. There are 7 different corner positions possible after you have oriented the edges. Sune and Antisune are two of these, but we won't always get them straight away.

Refer to the image to see what they look like. Both Sune and Antisune have one correctly oriented corner. You might have two corners oriented or none oriented. If you have all four already facing upwards, you don't need this step.

To get to the case where you only have one oriented corner, repeat the following algorithm:

R U R' U R U2 R'

When you eventually get the desired position, there are two slightly different variations of it. For this, we need to look at the front of the cube. The yellow corner facing the front can be  in two positions: Either facing the front, or facing the right. In the first image, it is facing the front. This shows you have Sune. To solve it, just do the above algorithm one more time, and you should have oriented all of the top layer.

Antisune is indicated when the corner facing the right, as shown in the second picture:

U2 R U2 R' U' R U' R'

Step 6: Finishing the puzzle

We're nearly there! Last part now.

Here, we're looking at the colours that aren't solved. There are 21 different cases for the top layer, but we only need a couple of algorithms to solve them all. The first thing we want to find is headlights. Only 2 of the cases don't have any headlights (one of them is if you skip this step, and the cube is already solved). For the one case without headlights, just perform the algorithm below from any angle. This is a better case because when you do the next step, the cube will be solved already.

Headlights are fairly simple to spot. Looking at the image, we can see on the right hand side that the orange edge has a green corner on either side of it. That is a set of headlights. The left hand side has two different colours on either side, so that is not a set of headlights. It is very important to note that a full bar (a blue edge has a blue corner on either side of it, so all three pieces are blue) is also seen as a set of headlights. This is only seen in one case of the 21 though, so you won't see it often. If you have a set of headlights on each side, ignore this part and read the section titled “The U Permutation” .

You want to hold the cube so that the set of headlights is facing away from you (do the required number of U moves so that the headlights aren't on the front, left or right). Then, do the following algorithm:

R' F R' B2 R F' R' B2 R2

You should now have either a solved cube or a pair of headlights on all sides.

The U Permutation

There are 5 different positions your cube can be in now, one of which could be solved. The rest of them have all four corners solved, so do the required amount of U moves so that every corner is in its right place. 2 of the 4 remaining possibilities have a solved bar (as mentioned above, where all three colours on that side are the same), and the other 2 have no solved bars.

If you have a solved bar, put it at the back and do this algorithm:

R U' R U R U R U' R' U' R2

If your cube isn't solved, do it one more time, making sure the bar is still at the back.

If you don't have a solved bar, do the same algorithm from any angle. This will leave you with a solved bar, so you can do  the above.

Congratulations! You've solved the Rubik's Cube. Wasn't that hard, was it?

This tutorial didn't help you? Read the beginner's Rubik's guide or go to the Rubik's Cube solver and let the program calculate the solution for you.

The Easiest Method

We will learn this step by step:

1 Experiment

Play with your cube and get familiar with it. Try to solve the white face without reading this tutorial.

Learn the letters which are used to mark the rotations of the faces to describe the algorithms.

3 The Solution

We divide the Rubik's Cube into 7 layers and solve each group not messing up the solved pieces.

Practice the moves, memorize the algorithms until you can solve the Rubik's Cube without help.

Discover the Rubik's Cube

Spend some time playing with the puzzle to familiarize with it before you read this solution tutorial and see how far you can get without help. Most people can solve one face after spending some time with the cube.

A few things you might notice:

Fixed center pieces.

Notice that no matter what kind of face rotation you do, the center pieces always stay in the same position. They determine the color of each face.

Edges And Corners

Beside the fixed center pieces the cube is composed of 8 corner pieces with 3 stickers and 12 edge pieces with two stickers.

Too Many Cases

There are so many possible configurations (over 43 quintillion) that it would be impossible to solve it by randomly turning the faces until it's all done.

The Strategy

It's hard not to break the solved pieces while fixing new ones. We need to divide the cube into layers and use algorithms in each step which don't break the finished parts.

The Letters In The Algorithms

We've marked the six faces of the cube with the initials of their names.

We are not going to use the D  (down) and B  (back) faces in this tutorial.

A letter by itself means a clockwise rotation of the face while a counterclockwise turn is marked with an apostrophe .

Click the buttons to see the animated rotations in action.

How To Solve The White Face Of The Rubik's Cube

Solving the first face of the Rubik's Cube is relatively easy because there are not too many solved pieces that you can mess up. Spend some time playing with the puzzle and try to do this without reading further this page.

• ✔ Start with the white edges, then do the corners.
• ✔ Make sure the side colors are matching the side center colors (image below).
• ✔ Can you do this step by yourself without reading this help?

1. Solve the white edges

We start by solving the white edge pieces. Of course you can start with any other color but in this solution guide we're going to use the white so I would advidse you to use the same.

Solving the white edges is intuitive and quite easy because at this stage there are no solved pieces that we can break. In most cases you can just simply rotate each piece where they are supposed to be.

Here are a few examples that require a few extra moves.

Press the Play button to animate the rotations.

Apply this short algorithm when the piece is in the right spot (FU edge), but it's oriented wrong.

Do this when you can't simply just turn the front edge to its spot because it would be oriented wrong.

The algorithm to solve the white edge when it's oriented wrong in the middle layer.

2. Solve the white corners

The white edges are solved and we have to fix the white corners to complete the first face.

This is another easy stage where you shouldn't memorize any algorithm just follow your instincts. If you have difficulties solving the white corners, here's an easy trick you can always apply, you just have to memorize a short algorithm and repeat it until the piece is solved:

Bring the corner below the spot where it belongs (Front-Right-Down position highlighted with grey) and repeat the algorithm above until the white corner pops into its place oriented correctly. This algorithm sends the piece back and forth between the spots marked with dark, always changing the orientation.

Play the animation for an example where the sequence is repeated five times. Watch the affected white corner going to the top then back to the bottom in each step, changing its orientation. The sixth would bring the cube back to its original position:

This trick always works but requires too many unnecessary steps. Here are the shortcuts:

R' D2 R D R' D' R

At the end of this step your cube should have a solid white face.

3. Second Layer (F2L)

Now that we've finished the white face , let's turn the cube upside down because we don't need to see the solved side anymore.

The solution of the Rubik's Cube could be done intuitively until this point but this is where most people get stuck. The reason for that is that you would have to foresee too many steps to complete the first two layers (F2L).

We have to learn two algorithms which are symmetric to each other. We call them Left and Right  algorithms.

The Left algorithm sends the edge piece from the Front-Up position to the left side while the Right algorithm sends it to the right as marked with the arrows.

U' L' U L U F U' F'

U R U' R' U' F' U F

Wrong orientation.

When there's no edge piece to insert into the middle layer you will have to execute the algorithm twice to pop the piece out in the first step.

For example, when the edge is on its place but turned incorrectly:

U R U' R' U' F' U F - U2 - U R U' R' U' F' U F

At the end of this step your cube should have the middle layer solved and an intact white face at the bottom.

4. The Top Cross

In the fourth step we want to form a yellow cross on the top of the cube. Don't worry if the side colors don't match the side centers because we will send the pieces to their final positions in the  next step .

We solve the yellow edges on the top of the Rubik's Cube in two steps: First we orient them to form a yellow cross on the top , then we swap the pieces to match them with the side colors.

At this point you can have one of these patterns on the top of your cube. Use the algorithm below to jump to the next state until you reach the cross.

F R U R' U' F'

• Dot – we have to apply the formula three times when all top edges are oriented wrong and there are no yellow stickers around the yellow center. Make sure you reorient the cube in your hands after the first stage because the "L"-shape will be upside down.
• "L"-shape – You're two algorithms away from the target. Make sure the yellow edges are located on the left and back positions as illustrated. (There's a shortcut which jumps from the "L"-shape to the cross in one step, reducing the solution time:  F U R U' R' F' ).
• Line – Perform the algorithm once, holding the line horizontally and you're done.
• Cross – The cross is complete, you can go to the next level!

5. Swap Last Layer Edges

We have the cross on the top but the sides of the yellow edges don't match the side colors yet. We need to put them in their final destinations.

To sort this out we use an algorithm which swaps the Front-Up and the Left-Up adjacent edges marked with the arrow.

R U R' U R U2 R' U

In some cases two opposite pieces have to be swapped which needs to be done in two steps. Perform the algorithm once, then rotate the cube to make sure you are changing the right pieces in the second round:

At the end of this step you should have an almost finished cube, where only the yellow corners are left to solve:

6. Position Last Layer Corners

We are very close to finish solving our Rubik's Cube. At this point only the yellow corners remained unsolved which we are going to sort out in two steps. First we have to relocate them and we'll orient them in the next and final step .

We use a trick to cycle the marked corners on the image, while the Front-Right-Up corner, marked with "OK" stays in place.

U R U' L' U R' U' L

When you reach this point in the solution look for a corner piece which is in the right place. If you found one then reorient the cube in your hands so this specific piece is on the OK position and perform the formula. In some cases you have to execute it twice.

If there's no yellow corner on the right spot then do the algorithm to reorganize the corners and then look around again because there must be a good one this time.

An interesting fact is that in this step the number of pieces in the right spot can only be 0, 1 or 4.

7. Orient last layer corners

In the last step every piece is where it's supposed to be, but the yellow corners are oriented wrong. To complete our cube we will use the same algorithm we used to solve the first layer corners but with a little trick:

Start by holding the cube in your hand having a misaligned yellow corner in the highlighted Front-Right-Up spot (see image) . Repeat the R' D' R D algorithm until this piece comes to the correct position with the yellow sticker upwards.

Turning only the Up face , move another wrong yellow corner to the highlighted spot and repeat the R' D' R D algorithm until that yellow piece is oriented correctly. Move other misaligned yellow corners to the marked spot one by one and do the formula until all corners are solved.

The puzzle might seem to be scrambled between the moves but don't worry because everything will come together when all yellow corners are oriented properly.

Watch the video or the animation below that demonstrates examples of how to use this move.

More examples on how to use the R' D' R D algorithm .

Here are all moves together to help you practice.

How to solve your Rubik's Cube

F ront, R ight, U p, L eft L – Left clockwise F' – Front inverted R2 – Double right (180°)    

1,2. White Face

Cross, then corners.

3. Middle layer

4. Top Cross

5. Swap Top Edges

6. Position Top Corners

7. Orient Top Corners

Useful links, rubik's cube solver.

If this tutorial didn't help try the online solver! Let the program calculate the solution in 20 steps.

Input the colors of the scrambled puzzle, hit the solve button and follow the instructions.

The Most Popular Rubik's Cube Portal

• Puzzle Simulators
• Interesting Articles
• Reveiws and Tutorials

... and more. Click the image to visit the site!

Rubik's Cube Solver

Calculate the solution for your scrambled Rubik's Cube in 20 steps. Input the colors of your cube and the program will guide you through the solution.

Image generator

Set the colors of the scrambled cube and the image options to generate the picture. Use the right click to save the picture.'

What Can You Do With This Rubik Solver?

• Play online - hit the scramble button and try to solve it in your web browser dragging the layers with your mouse or using the allocated buttons or your keyboard.
• Generate Rubik's Cube images - you can save the scrambled cube as a picture clicking on the 'Generate image' checkbox. Many formats and settings are available.
• Save a scramble - Set up a scramble pattern and press the Solve button. Your scheme will be encoded in the link of the solution page which you can open later.
• Discover the cube  - learn notation, try patterns etc.

This program finds the solution in approximately 20 steps (God's algorithm) in most cases. For this your setup needs to be a valid configuration, using the western color scheme.

The solver uses client side scripts and is functional in most common web browsers without any additional extension. If the program doesn't respond please make sure that scripts are enabled on your browser. For iPhone, Android or other mobile users with a small screen resolution the program automatically switches to a smaller view to fit your device. The site uses cookies to enhance the user experience.

How to use the Rubik's Cube Solver?

You have to set the colors of your scrambled cube, press the Solve button and the program will show you the steps (rotations) needed to get it fixed. There are three different views to choose from, select the one you like the most.

The program is working with any color scheme which uses these six colors : white, red, blue, orange, green, and yellow. It doesn't matter if the colors are not in this order on your cube because the program automatically determines the color settings according to the middle pieces. Unfortunately only a layer-by-layer solution is available if your cube is not using the classic color scheme.

Set up a scramble

There are many ways to set up the scrambled cube.  You can pick a color on the palette, then paste it on one of the fields. You can also do multiple clicks on a field to change its color. Generate a random scramble, and reset the cube to the solved position with the Reset button. Apply any basic rotation by clicking on one of the permutation buttons or by pressing the corresponding buttons on your keyboard: R, L, U, D, F and B. Drag a field with your mouse and rotate in the desired direction. Under the permutation buttons you can see the description of each button to help you understand what they mean.

Following the solution steps

Please double check your puzzle when the solver says Invalid scramble . You might have swapped one or more pieces. Go back to the scramble page and try to find the problem. If the program throws this error many times in a row then your cube might have been assembled in an unsolvable configuration. In this case you have to take it apart and build it in the solved state.

After the orientation is right go ahead and apply the rotations given by the online Rubik's Cube solver. Respect the initial orientation, and make all the rotations right because if you miss one or make a wrong turn you end up with a scrambled cube . Be careful with the double turns which mean a 180 degree turn of a face. These are marked with x2 . You can play back the solution with the desired speed or click through the steps one by one any time you want. If you don't understand what the letters mean then click on them to see the illustration. For this to work you have to activate the Animate rotations feature with the allocated checkbox. You might also find useful the Rubik's Cube Notation page where you can find a detailed explanation about what the letters mean in the solution algorithm. A YouTube video is also available to demonstrate the operation of this program.

After you successfully solved your puzzle go back to scramble a new cube.

For animated interactive 3D cube widgets please visit this page .

Please contact us or use the comment section if you have any suggestion. Your feedback is much appreciated :)

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Related pages.

• Beginner's Solution
• Advanced Method

Rubik Programs

• 3D Rubik Simulator
• Rubik Solver
• Scramble Generators

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