This guide teaches the classic beginner method: solve the cube one layer at a time using a small set of repeatable moves. You do not need to memorize dozens of algorithms; the goal is to understand what each step is trying to fix, then practice the same move sequences until they feel natural.
A standard 3×3 cube has six fixed center pieces. Centers never move relative to each other, so they tell you the color of each face. In this guide, hold the cube with white on the bottom once the white cross is made, and yellow on top for the last layer.
Do not peel stickers, twist corners by force, or take the cube apart. Every position in this guide is solvable with turns only. If a piece seems impossible, it is usually in the wrong slot or flipped and must be moved out first.
On most modern cubes, opposite colors are: white/yellow, red/orange, blue/green. Your cube may differ, but the center pieces still define the faces.
Algorithms are written as letters. Hold the cube facing you. A plain letter means turn that face clockwise as if you are looking directly at that face. An apostrophe means counterclockwise. A 2 means turn twice.
| Symbol | Face | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| R | Right | Turn the right face clockwise. |
| R' | Right inverse | Turn the right face counterclockwise. |
| U | Up | Turn the top face clockwise. |
| U' | Up inverse | Turn the top face counterclockwise. |
| F | Front | Turn the front face clockwise. |
| L D B | Left, Down, Back | Used less often in this beginner guide. |
Try R U R' U' six times. The cube returns to where it started. This short sequence is the most useful beginner trigger.
Goal: put the four white edge pieces around the white center, and match each edge's side color to the correct center.
The white edge pieces make a plus sign around the white center. On each side, the non-white sticker lines up with the same-color center, forming little T shapes.
A white plus sign by itself is not enough. If the green-white edge is above the red center, the cross must be fixed before you continue.
A white edge has exactly two colors. Rotate only the top layer or side faces to bring it near the white center.
If the edge is white-green, line the green sticker up with the green center. If it is white-red, line red up with red, and so on.
Once the side color is matched to its center, turn that face 180° if needed to send the white sticker to the white face. Repeat for all four white edges.
Look at the side of the cube. The white cross should form four little “T” shapes with the side centers. If a side color does not match, fix the cross now; later steps depend on it.
Goal: complete the entire white layer. Each white corner must sit between the three centers that match its colors.
White is complete on the bottom, and each side face has a solid bottom row. If the bottom is white but a side color is mismatched, the corner is in the wrong slot.
Place the white-green-red corner above the slot between the white, green, and red centers, then use the trigger below.
After the cross is correct, hold white on the bottom. Find a white corner in the top layer.
Example: a white-green-red corner belongs between the white, green, and red centers. Turn the top layer until it sits above that slot.
With the corner above the front-right slot, repeat this until the corner drops in correctly:
R U R' U'
If the corner belongs in the front-left slot instead, either rotate the whole cube to make it the front-right slot, or use the left version: L' U' L U
Put that bad corner in the front-right position and do R U R' U' once or twice to move it to the top. Then insert it correctly.
Goal: solve the four edge pieces that do not contain yellow. Keep white on the bottom and yellow on top.
After this step, the bottom two rows on every side face are solved. The yellow top may still look messy.
Choose a top-layer edge with no yellow. Match its front sticker to the front center, then decide whether the other sticker belongs left or right.
Edges with yellow belong in the last layer, so ignore them for now.
Turn the top layer until the front sticker of that edge matches the front center. Now decide whether the edge must move to the right slot or left slot.
U R U' R' U' F' U F
Use this when the top edge belongs between the front center and the right center.
U' L' U L U F U' F'
Use this when the top edge belongs between the front center and the left center.
But the middle layer is not solved, one middle edge is in the wrong slot. Hold that bad edge in the front-right slot, do the “send right” algorithm to kick it out, then solve it normally.
Goal: make a yellow plus sign on the top. Corner colors do not matter yet.
Only the yellow center is on top. Do the algorithm, then continue from the next case.
Hold the yellow line horizontally before the algorithm.
Hold the elbow like a clock at 9 and 12 before the algorithm.
F R U R' U' F'
Goal: the yellow cross is on top, and each yellow edge's side color matches its center.
Usually you can get either two matching side edges or all four. If all four match, skip to Step 6.
If two adjacent edges match, hold them at the back and right. If two opposite edges match, do the algorithm once from any side; then you should get adjacent matches.
R U R' U R U2 R' U
Repeat if needed. Then turn the top layer so every yellow edge side color matches its center.
Goal: each yellow corner is in the correct location, even if it is twisted the wrong way.
Look at the three colors on each top corner. A yellow-green-red corner belongs between yellow, green, and red, regardless of which way it is twisted.
If no corners are correct, do the algorithm once from any position. Then one should become correct.
U R U' L' U R' U' L
Repeat until all four top corners are in their correct locations.
Goal: rotate each top corner so yellow faces upward. This step looks scary because the cube appears scrambled while you are doing it. Keep going: the cube fixes itself after the last corner.
Do not rotate the whole cube during this step. Keep the same front face the entire time.
R' D' R D
Do it 2 or 4 times for that corner. Stop as soon as yellow is on top.
Use U, U', or U2. Then repeat R' D' R D until that corner is twisted correctly.
The bottom two layers will look temporarily broken while twisting corners. That is normal. The key is: do not rotate the cube; only use top turns to choose the next corner.
The cross is not actually solved. Move the incorrect white edge out, line up its side color with the matching center, and insert it again.
Use either middle-layer algorithm to kick it to the top, then reinsert it correctly.
Finish the full Step 7 process. If you rotated the whole cube by accident, restart Step 7 from the last fully correct state if possible.
If exactly one edge is flipped or one corner is twisted while everything else is solved, the cube was likely physically twisted or reassembled. On a normal scramble, impossible single-piece cases cannot occur.
| Step | Goal | Main algorithm |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | White cross | Intuitive matching to centers |
| 2 | White corners | R U R' U' |
| 3 | Middle edge right | U R U' R' U' F' U F |
| 3 | Middle edge left | U' L' U L U F U' F' |
| 4 | Yellow cross | F R U R' U' F' |
| 5 | Yellow edge positions | R U R' U R U2 R' U |
| 6 | Yellow corner positions | U R U' L' U R' U' L |
| 7 | Twist yellow corners | R' D' R D |