Featured: ChessHow to Solve a Rubik's Cube for Beginners: Step by Step
To solve a Rubik's cube as a beginner, use the layer by layer method: make a white cross, add the white corners, fill the middle layer edges, then solve the yellow last layer with a few short algorithms. You do not need to be good at math, and you only need to memorize seven short move sequences.
This guide explains cube notation, walks through all seven steps with the exact algorithms and shows how to practice on a free 3D cube online.
Play Cube Rush freeA real 3D cube in your browser with hints, undo and races against up to three friends.Play now
Quick summary
- The beginner method solves the cube one layer at a time in 7 steps: white cross, white corners, middle edges, yellow cross, yellow edges, yellow corner positions, yellow corner twists.
- You only need 7 short algorithms, and the white cross is solved by feel.
- Letters name faces (U, D, L, R, F, B). A letter alone is a clockwise quarter turn, an apostrophe means counterclockwise and a 2 means a half turn.
Before you start: how the cube works
A standard 3x3 cube has three kinds of pieces, and knowing them makes every step easier:
- Centers (6) have one color and never move relative to each other. The white center is always opposite yellow, green is opposite blue and red is opposite orange. The center tells you the color of that whole face.
- Edges (12) have two colors and sit between two centers.
- Corners (8) have three colors and sit at the corners.
You are not solving "sides" of stickers. You put pieces into their home positions.
Rubik's cube notation explained
Algorithms are written with one letter per face. Hold the cube still and read each letter as one turn:
| Letter | Face | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| U | Up (top) | Turn the top face a quarter turn clockwise |
| D | Down (bottom) | Turn the bottom face clockwise |
| R | Right | Turn the right face clockwise |
| L | Left | Turn the left face clockwise |
| F | Front | Turn the face pointing at you clockwise |
| B | Back | Turn the back face clockwise |
| R' | Any letter with ' | Same face, counterclockwise |
| R2 | Any letter with 2 | Same face, a half turn |
Clockwise always means clockwise as if you were looking straight at that face. So R moves the front stickers of the right side up, and L moves the front stickers of the left side down.
The 7 step beginner method
Step 1: Make the white cross
The goal is a plus sign of white edges around the white center, with each edge's second color matching the center beside it. The easiest way is the daisy:
- Hold the cube with the yellow center on top.
- Bring the four white edges up around the yellow center so their white stickers face up. It looks like a flower. Do this by feel: turn a side face to lift an edge into the top layer, turning the top first if a white petal is already in the way.
- Turn the top until one petal's side color matches the center below it. Turn that face twice (for example F2). The edge drops to the bottom, white side down.
- Repeat for the other three petals.
Now flip the cube over so white is on the bottom. You should see a white cross underneath and a matching T shape on each side.
Step 2: Solve the white corners
Keep white on the bottom. Find a corner in the top layer that has white on it. Turn the top until that corner sits directly above its home, the spot between the two centers that match its other two colors. Hold the cube so the corner is at the front right top, then repeat:
R U R' U'
Repeat it until the corner drops in with white facing down. It takes 1, 3 or 5 repeats. If a white corner is stuck in the bottom layer in the wrong place or twisted, hold it at front right bottom and do the algorithm once to lift it out. When all four corners are in, the whole first layer is solved.
Step 3: Solve the middle layer edges
Keep white on the bottom. Look for an edge in the top layer with no yellow on it. Turn the top until its front color matches the front center, making an upside down T. Now check its top color:
- If the top color matches the right center: U R U' R' U' F' U F
- If it matches the left center: U' L' U L U F U' F'
If an edge is stuck in the middle layer the wrong way round, insert any yellow edge into that slot with one of the algorithms. That kicks the stuck edge up to the top so you can place it properly. After four edges, two layers are done.
Step 4: Make the yellow cross
Yellow is now on top. Ignore the corners and look at the yellow edges on the top face. You will see a dot, an L shape, a line or a cross. Use this algorithm:
F R U R' U' F'
- Dot: do it once to get an L.
- L shape: hold it so the two yellow edges point to the back and the left, then do it once to get a line.
- Line: hold it across (left to right) and do it once to get the cross.
Step 5: Match the yellow edges
Turn the top until at least two yellow edges match the centers below them. If two neighboring edges match, hold them at the back and the right and do:
R U R' U R U2 R' U
If the two matching edges are opposite each other, do the algorithm once from any side, find the new neighboring pair and do it again.
Step 6: Put the yellow corners in place
Now move each yellow corner to its correct spot, even if it is twisted. A corner is in place when its three colors match the three centers around it. Find one corner that is already in place and hold it at the front right top, then do:
U R U' L' U R' U' L
Repeat until all four corners are in place. If no corner is in place, do the algorithm once from any side and one will be.
Step 7: Twist the yellow corners
Hold the cube with yellow on top and an unsolved corner at the front right top. Repeat:
R' D' R D
Do it two or four times until that corner shows yellow on top. Then turn only the top face to bring the next unsolved corner to the front right top, and repeat. The lower layers look scrambled in between, which is normal. After the last corner, a final turn of the top face solves the cube.
Algorithm cheat sheet
| Step | Algorithm |
|---|---|
| 2. White corners | R U R' U' |
| 3. Middle edge to the right | U R U' R' U' F' U F |
| 3. Middle edge to the left | U' L' U L U F U' F' |
| 4. Yellow cross | F R U R' U' F' |
| 5. Yellow edges | R U R' U R U2 R' U |
| 6. Yellow corner positions | U R U' L' U R' U' L |
| 7. Yellow corner twists | R' D' R D |
How to practice on a Rubik's cube online
You do not need a physical cube to learn. Cube Rush is a free 3D cube you can play online in any browser, and it uses the same notation as this guide.
- Pick a scramble. Easy mixes the cube with 8 random turns, Normal with 15 and Hard with 25. Use Normal or Hard to practice the full method, because an Easy scramble is often solved faster by undoing it.
- Turn the layers. Tap the face buttons, swipe across the stickers, or on a computer press U, D, L, R, F and B. Hold Shift for counterclockwise and press Ctrl + Z to undo.
- Look around. Drag the empty background to spin the view and see every side.
Practice mode starts the clock on your first move, so you can study the scramble first. If you get completely lost, the Hint button lights up a move that leads back toward the solved cube, and Undo takes back your last turn. Hints do not follow the beginner method, so use them to get unstuck rather than to learn the steps. Your best time for each difficulty is saved on your device.
Once you can solve reliably, create a room and race up to three friends on exactly the same scramble. Hints are off in races, so it comes down to skill.
Tips to get faster
- Plan the cross before the clock starts.
- Drill each algorithm until your hands do it without thinking.
- Turn the top, not the whole cube, to line up pieces.
- Try other puzzles. Logic games such as Rush Hour and Sudoku train the same planning skills, and there are many more on our puzzle games page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest way to solve a Rubik's cube for beginners?
The layer by layer beginner method. You solve the white cross, the white corners, the middle layer edges, then the yellow last layer in four small steps. It needs only seven short algorithms.
How many algorithms do I need to learn?
Seven: R U R' U' for the white corners, two middle layer algorithms (one for each side), F R U R' U' F' for the yellow cross, R U R' U R U2 R' U for the yellow edges, U R U' L' U R' U' L for the yellow corner positions and R' D' R D for the corner twists.
What does R U R' U' mean?
It is cube notation. R means turn the right face a quarter turn clockwise, U means turn the top face clockwise, and the apostrophe means counterclockwise. Clockwise is always judged as if you were looking straight at that face.
How long does it take to learn to solve a Rubik's cube?
Most people solve their first cube after a few hours of practice spread over a day or two. Getting under two minutes usually takes a few weeks, and many players get under one minute with steady practice.
Can I practice a Rubik's cube online for free?
Yes. Cube Rush on OnlineGames2Play is a free 3D cube that runs in your browser on phones, tablets and computers. It has easy, normal and hard scrambles, a Hint button, undo and races with friends.
Is Cube Rush the official Rubik's Cube game?
No. Cube Rush is an independent 3D cube puzzle made by OnlineGames2Play.com. Rubik's Cube is a trademark of its owner, and Cube Rush is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.
Looking for more? Browse all our puzzle games, read more guides on the OnlineGames2Play blog or head back to the free online games homepage.
Ready? Play Cube Rush free nowA real 3D cube in your browser with hints, undo and races against up to three friends.Play now
