Many people are fascinated by the Rubik’s Cube, but often get stuck after solving the first face. There are various methods to tackle this iconic puzzle, ranging from beginner-friendly approaches to advanced techniques used by speedcubers. Some even challenge themselves with blindfolded solving. If you’re looking for the easiest way to solve the Rubik’s Cube, especially after struggling beyond the initial steps, this Rubik’s guide is for you. We’ll walk you through the beginner’s method, a layer-by-layer approach that simplifies the process.
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Contents
Solving the Rubik’s Cube: A Step-by-Step Guide
This Rubik’s guide breaks down the solution into manageable layers. You’ll learn to solve each layer by applying specific algorithms without disrupting your progress. For a deeper dive into each stage, we’ve provided links to separate pages with more detailed explanations and examples.
Step 2: Completing the White Corners
Step 3: Solving the Second Layer
Step 4: Making the Yellow Cross
Step 5: Positioning the Yellow Edges
Step 6: Permuting the Yellow Corners
Step 7: Orienting the Yellow Corners
Rubik’s Cube Solution Example
See this beginner’s method in action! The animation demonstrates solving the cube layer by layer, starting with the white edges and corners, then moving to the second layer after flipping the cube, and finally finishing with the yellow face. Click the Play button to watch the solution.
Video Tutorial for Beginners
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Rubik’s Cube Video Guide
Using a video alongside this Rubik’s guide is highly recommended for learning to solve the cube effectively. Watching each step visually clarifies the written instructions and makes it easier to follow along. You can pause, rewind, and practice at your own pace, making this Rubik’s guide even more user-friendly.
Rubik’s Cube Notation Explained
Before diving into the algorithms in this Rubik’s guide, familiarizing yourself with basic cubing terminology and Rubik’s Cube notation is beneficial. The notation uses letters to represent the faces of the cube and the direction of turns:
F: Front, R: Right, U: Up, L: Left, D: Down.
| Clockwise rotations: | F R U L D |
|---|---|
| Counterclockwise rotations (indicated by an apostrophe ‘): | F’ R’ U’ L’ D’ |
If you ever get stuck or confused, the online Rubik’s Cube solver program is a great tool. Simply input your cube’s current scramble, and it will generate the solution steps for you.
To track your progress and speed, use the online Rubik’s Cube Timer which offers many useful features. For practice, you can generate random scrambles using the scramble generator.
Step 1: Building the White Cross
Let’s start this Rubik’s guide with the white face. The first step is to create a white cross. Pay close attention to aligning the white edge pieces with the colors of the side center pieces. Challenge yourself to form the white cross without initially reading detailed instructions.
This stage is excellent for getting acquainted with the Rubik’s Cube and seeing how far you can progress on your own. It’s relatively intuitive as you don’t need to worry about disturbing already solved parts. Practice moving the white edges into their correct positions while maintaining the pieces you’ve already placed. Don’t be discouraged if it takes time!
For some assistance in forming the white cross, you can find animated algorithms and further explanations here.
Step 2: Solving the White Corners
In this step of our Rubik’s guide, we’ll focus on positioning the white corner pieces to complete the first face. If you successfully built the white cross without help, try tackling this step independently as well. If you need a hint, here’s how to proceed.
Begin by rotating the bottom layer until a white corner piece is positioned directly beneath its correct location in the top layer. Then, depending on the white sticker’s orientation, apply one of the three algorithms. If a white corner is in the right spot but incorrectly oriented, you’ll first need to move it out of position.
For more comprehensive instructions on solving the white corners, refer to this detailed guide.
Step 3: Completing the Second Layer (F2L)
Up to this point in our Rubik’s guide, the process has been fairly straightforward. However, from now on, we’ll be incorporating algorithms. You can now set aside the completed white face by turning the cube upside down, focusing on the unsolved layers.
This step involves completing the first two layers, often referred to as F2L (First Two Layers). In this stage, you’ll primarily use two symmetrical algorithms: the Right Algorithm and the Left Algorithm. These algorithms are designed to insert the Up-Front edge piece from the top layer into the middle layer without disrupting the solved white face. If none of the top layer pieces are oriented as shown in the images below, rotate the top layer until a top layer edge piece aligns with one of the example orientations. Then, execute the corresponding algorithm.
Left Algorithm: U’ L’ U L U F U’ F’
Right Algorithm: U R U’ R’ U’ F’ U F
If an edge piece is already in its correct position in the second layer but incorrectly oriented, you’ll need to apply the algorithm twice. The first application will remove the incorrectly oriented piece, replacing it with another from the top layer, and the second application, with proper setup, will correctly insert the original piece.
To see these F2L algorithms in action, follow this link for a visual demonstration.
Step 4: Forming the Yellow Cross on the Top Layer
Now, let’s focus on the last layer. Our goal in this step of the Rubik’s guide is to create a yellow cross on the top of the cube. At this stage, the exact positioning of the yellow cross pieces isn’t crucial, so don’t worry about matching side colors just yet.
You might encounter three possible patterns on the top face: a dot, an “L” shape, or a horizontal line. Use the following algorithm to transition between these states and ultimately form the yellow cross:
Algorithm: F R U R’ U’ F’
- Dot: If you only see a yellow dot in the center of the top face, you’ll need to apply the algorithm three times. If you see a yellow “L” shape, apply it twice, holding the cube in the orientation shown in the image below.
- Horizontal Line: If you have a horizontal yellow line on the top, execute the algorithm just once.
For a more detailed explanation on forming the yellow cross, click here.
Step 5: Positioning the Yellow Edge Pieces
With the yellow cross completed, the next step in this Rubik’s guide is to correctly position the yellow edge pieces so they match the colors of their respective side center pieces. To swap the front and left yellow edge pieces, use this algorithm:
Algorithm: R U R’ U R U2 R’ U
You might need to repeat this algorithm more than once to correctly position all yellow edges.
Step 6: Permuting the Yellow Corner Pieces
At this stage of our Rubik’s guide, only the last layer corners remain unsolved. First, we need to get them into the correct positions, disregarding their orientation for now.
Identify if any corner is already in its correct place. If so, position that correct corner at the right-front-top (URF) position. Then, use the following algorithm to cycle the three incorrect corner pieces, as indicated in the image.
Algorithm: U R U’ L’ U R’ U’ L
Apply this algorithm twice to perform an inverse rotation of the pieces. If none of the yellow corners are in the right positions, execute the algorithm once to bring at least one corner to its correct place and repeat the process.
Learn more about the permutation of the last layer yellow corners here.
Step 7: Orienting the Yellow Corners to Solve the Cube
Congratulations, you’re almost there! In this final step of our Rubik’s guide, all pieces are in their correct positions. Now, you just need to orient the yellow corners to complete the Rubik’s Cube. This step is often considered the most confusing, so follow these instructions carefully.
Hold the cube with an unsolved yellow corner at the front-right-top (URF) position. Perform the algorithm below two or four times until that specific corner is correctly oriented:
Algorithm: R’ D’ R D
It may appear as though you’re scrambling the cube, but don’t worry; it will resolve itself as you orient all the corners.
After orienting the first corner, rotate only the top layer (U layer) to bring another unsolved yellow corner to the URF position. Repeat the R’ D’ R D algorithm until this corner is also correctly oriented. Be careful not to rotate the bottom two layers between algorithms and never rotate the entire cube.
This is the step where many beginners find themselves lost, so take your time and focus. If these instructions are unclear, check out more examples by clicking here.
Repeat this process until your Rubik’s Cube is solved 🙂
Is this Rubik’s Guide Too Challenging? Here are Alternatives:
If you find this Rubik’s guide too complex, consider these resources:
Explore another guide at Rubik’s Cube Tutorial or CubeSolve.com. Alternatively, use the Online Rubik’s Cube Solver – just input your cube’s scramble, and it will provide a solution.
