How to Solve a 3x3 Rubik's Cube
Master the beginner layer-by-layer method to solve any standard 3x3 Rubik's cube, from creating the white cross to orienting the final yellow layer corners.
- Read the tools, materials, safety notes, and steps below for free.
- Tap Start Camera Coach when you want hands-free voice help.
- Allow camera and microphone. Point your phone at the work; the coach watches your progress and tells you the next step.
🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Standard 3x3 Rubik's Cube or Speedcube
- ✓ Padded desk mat or mousepad
- ✓ Printed algorithm notation cheat sheet
- ✓ Cube adjustment tool or mini screwdriver
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Microfiber cleaning cloth
- ✓ Silicone-based cube lubricant
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Do not forcefully twist corner pieces manually to prevent breaking the internal plastic core stalks.
- • Take breaks every 15 minutes to prevent repetitive strain on wrists, thumbs, and fingers.
- • Keep loose internal screws and spring caps away from small children and pets.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (7 Steps)
Form the White Daisy and White Cross
Hold the cube with the yellow center facing up. Locate all four white edge pieces and turn the outer faces to bring them around the yellow center, creating a daisy pattern. Once complete, rotate the top layer to match one white edge's side color to its matching side center, then turn that face 180 degrees down to the white face. Repeat for all four edges.
- • A solid white plus sign on the bottom white face.
- • The side color of every white edge piece matches the adjacent center piece color.
- • Focusing on corner pieces instead of edge pieces with only two colors.
- • Rotating the white edge down before matching its side color to the lateral center.
Insert the First Layer Corners
Keep the white cross facing down on the bottom. Locate a corner piece containing white in the top layer, rotate the top layer until that corner sits directly above its target slot (matching the other two colors of the corner to the adjacent centers). Execute the right-hand sequence (R U R' U') or left-hand sequence (L' U' L U) 1 to 5 times until the white corner drops into place facing down.
- • The entire white face on the bottom is solid white.
- • A complete solid band of matching color wraps around the entire bottom row of all four side faces.
- • Placing a white corner into the bottom layer with its side colors mismatched to adjacent centers.
- • Forgetting the final U' move at the end of the four-move algorithm sequence.
Solve the Middle Layer Edges
Look at the top (yellow) layer for an edge piece that does NOT have any yellow on it. Turn the top layer to align the front sticker of this edge with its matching front center, forming a vertical 'T'. If the top sticker matches the right center, move the top layer away to the left (U) and execute: R U R' U', rotate the whole cube left, then L' U' L U. If it needs to go left, mirror the movement.
- • The bottom two complete horizontal layers are fully solved across all four side faces.
- • Only the yellow face on top remains scrambled.
- • Selecting an edge piece that contains a yellow sticker.
- • Rotating the top layer toward the target slot instead of pushing it away before starting the trigger.
Create the Yellow Cross on Top
Inspect the yellow top face, ignoring yellow corners; you will see a yellow dot, an 'L' shape (9 o'clock and 12 o'clock), a horizontal line, or a full cross. Hold the cube so the 'L' is at the top-left or the line is horizontal, and execute: F (front clockwise), R U R' U', F' (front counter-clockwise). Repeat this sequence 1 to 3 times until all four yellow edge stickers face up.
- • A yellow cross / plus sign appears on the top face (corners may be yellow or not).
- • The bottom two layers remain completely intact.
- • Holding the yellow line vertically instead of horizontally before performing the algorithm.
- • Turning the back face instead of the front face (F) for the setup move.
Permute the Yellow Edges
Rotate the top (U) layer to see how many yellow edge side stickers match their adjacent side centers. Find a position where exactly two edges match; if they are adjacent, hold them at the back and right faces. Execute the Sune algorithm: R U R' U R U2 R' U. This swaps the misaligned edges so all four yellow cross edges align with their corresponding center colors.
- • The yellow top cross is preserved.
- • All 4 yellow edge pieces match their respective side center colors simultaneously.
- • Executing the algorithm when opposite edges match without doing an intermediate realignment.
- • Turning U only once on the U2 step instead of a full 180-degree double flick.
Position the Yellow Corners
Inspect the four yellow corners to see if any are in the correct physical location between their three colored centers, regardless of which way the yellow sticker points. If one is correct, hold it in the front-right-top position; if none are correct, hold the cube at any angle. Execute: U R U' L' U R' U' L. Repeat until all four yellow corners sit in their correct three-color slots.
- • All four corner pieces are in their correct positional slots between matching center colors.
- • Corner stickers may be oriented yellow-up, yellow-side, or yellow-front, but the pieces belong in those specific corners.
- • Expecting the corners to already show yellow on top rather than just checking their three color identities.
- • Holding the correctly positioned corner on the left side instead of the front-right.
Orient Yellow Corners to Solve the Cube
Flip the entire cube upside down so the yellow face is on the bottom and white is on top. Place an unsolved corner at the bottom-right front. Execute R U R' U' repeatedly (either 2 or 4 times) until the yellow sticker faces downward on the bottom face. CRITICAL: Rotate ONLY the bottom layer (D or D') to bring the next unsolved corner to the bottom-right, and repeat R U R' U' until all corners point yellow down.
- • All six faces show single, solid, uniform colors.
- • The 3x3 Rubik's Cube is completely solved.
- • Rotating the whole cube in your hands instead of rotating ONLY the bottom (D) layer to bring the next corner into position.
- • Forgetting the final U' move of the R U R' U' sequence after the yellow sticker lands on the bottom.
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by Cube For Speed — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Padded desk mat? Soft folded bath towel or cloth mousepad
- No Silicone-based cube lubricant? Do not substitute with cooking oil or WD-40; run the cube dry until puzzle-grade silicone oil is acquired