The easiest way to solve a 3x3 Rubik's Cube as a beginner is the layer by layer method: first layer 1 (the layer with the white centre), then layer 2 in the middle, and last of all layer 3 (the layer with the yellow centre). The whole solve is split into 7 steps. In each step you only do three things: hold the cube the right way, compare your cube with the picture, then turn the algorithm under that picture.

Find your case fast

Look at your cube from above and tap the picture that matches it to see how to solve it. Grey cells are stickers you can ignore.

  • Case 1

    RUR′

    White sticker on the right: R U R'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 2

    F′U′F

    White sticker on the front: F' U' F

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 3

    RU2R′U′RUR′

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 4

    URU′R′U′F′UF

    Same colour as the right centre, insert it to the right: U R U' R' U' F' U F

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 5

    U′L′ULUFU′F′

    Same colour as the left centre, insert it to the left: U' L' U L U F U' F'

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 6

    FRUR′U′F′

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 7

    FRUR′U′F′FRUR′U′F′

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 8

    FRUR′U′F′U2FRUR′U′F′FRUR′U′F′

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 9

    RUR′URU2R′

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 10

    RUR′URU2R′U2RUR′URU2R′

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 11

    RUR′URU2R′RUR′URU2R′

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 12

    RUR′URU2R′U′RUR′URU2R′

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 13

    RUR′URU2R′RUR′URU2R′U2RUR′URU2R′

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 14

    RUR′URU2R′U2RUR′URU2R′U′RUR′URU2R′

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 15

    RUR′URU2R′U′RUR′URU2R′U2RUR′URU2R′

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 16

    R′FR′B2RF′R′B2R2

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 17

    R′FR′B2RF′R′B2R2R′FR′B2RF′R′B2R2

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 18

    R′FR′B2RF′R′B2R2UR′FR′B2RF′R′B2R2

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 19

    UR′FR′B2RF′R′B2R2U2

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 20

    RU′RURURU′R′U′R2

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

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 21

    RU′RURURU′R′U′R2RU′RURURU′R′U′R2

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 22

    RU′RURURU′R′U′R2URU′RURURU′R′U′R2U′

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →
  • Case 23

    RU′RURURU′R′U′R2U′RU′RURURU′R′U′R2U

    1. You start with (input)
    2. After the formula
    See it in the post →

Every case in this post comes with a pair of pictures: the left one shows the cube before the algorithm, the right one shows it after. Every algorithm comes from the EasyRubic guide and has been run on the site's Rubik's Cube simulator. To try each move on a 3D cube, open the interactive step you are working on.

Before you start, make sure you can read basic notation such as R, U, F, R', U2. If not, have a look at the Rubik's Cube notation page or the post Rubik's Cube notation for beginners first.

Before you start: three things to know

  • Centres never move. The centre piece in the middle of each face stays fixed in relation to the others, so the colour of the centre is the colour of that whole face.
  • The cube has 3 kinds of pieces: 6 centres (1 colour), 12 edges (2 colours) and 8 corners (3 colours). Each colour on a piece is a sticker, for example a white sticker. You put each piece in its right place; you do not solve "one colour at a time". Layers are named by colour, not by position: layer 1 has the white centre, layer 2 is in the middle, layer 3 has the yellow centre.
  • Don't worry about the giant number. A 3x3 cube has about 43 quintillion (43,252,003,274,489,856,000) different positions (Wikipedia), but each step below only has a few cases to compare.

!A scrambled 3x3 Rubik's Cube Image: [Cbuckley / Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rubik%27s_cube_scrambled.svg), CC BY-SA 3.0

How to hold the cube in this post: in step 1 the white centre is on top, so layer 1 is on top and layer 3 is at the bottom. From step 2 on, flip the cube over: yellow centre on top, layer 1 at the bottom, and keep it that way to the end. The face pointing at you is the front (in the guide's pictures it is the face marked FACING YOU). Keep the front pointing at you while you compare with the picture and the whole time you do the algorithm.

How to read the pictures: in the pictures, the front is the green face. Stickers you don't need to care about yet in that step are greyed out. The "after" pictures for layer 3 show a solved cube so they are easier to read; on your cube, the parts you haven't reached yet may still be mixed up.

Step 1: White cross

  1. You start with (input)A scrambled cube
  2. Result you will get after finishing this stepWhite cross done

Put the four edges with a white sticker around the white centre, so the other sticker of each edge matches the colour of the side centre next to it. Keep the white centre on top, pick an edge with a white sticker, for example the white and green edge, then turn the whole cube so the green centre is at the front. Check which layer the edge is in and which face its white sticker is on:

Layer 3 (at the bottom for now), right under the green centre, white sticker on the bottom: F2

  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

Layer 3, right under the green centre, white sticker on the front: D R F' R'

  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

Layer 2, to the right of the front centre, white sticker on the right: F'

  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

Layer 2, to the left of the front centre, white sticker on the left: F

  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

Doesn't match any case yet? If the edge is in layer 3, turn the bottom face (D) to bring it right under the front centre, then compare again. Do this for all four edges with a white sticker, one by one.

All 12 cases can be played on a 3D cube in Step 1 of the guide. If this step feels hard, the post White cross: 2 ways to make it shows the "daisy" way too, which is easier the first time.

TRY IT RIGHT HERE

Four moves.
One at a time.

Tap each symbol and follow one piece. This is an exercise in watching the movement.

Step 2: Layer 1 corners

  1. You start with (input)White cross done
  2. Result you will get after finishing this stepFirst layer all correct

Flip the cube: yellow centre on top, white cross (layer 1) at the bottom. A corner with a white sticker belongs in layer 1, between the two centres that match its other two stickers. Find a corner with a white sticker in layer 3 (on top for now), turn the whole cube so those two centres are at the front and on the right, then turn U to bring the corner right above its place, at front right. Check which face the corner's white sticker is on:

White sticker on the right: R U R'

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

White sticker on the front: F' U' F

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

White sticker on top: R U2 R' U' then R U R'

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

Corner already in layer 1 but twisted or in the wrong place: R U R' U' to push it up into layer 3, then R U R'

  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

Repeat for all four corners and layer 1 is done. Each case can be played in Step 2 of the guide. How to find the right place for a corner, and the most common mistakes, are in the post How to solve the first layer.

Step 3: Layer 2 edges

  1. You start with (input)First layer all correct
  2. Result you will get after finishing this stepFirst two layers all correct

The yellow centre is still on top, with the finished layer 1 at the bottom. Find an edge in layer 3 with no yellow sticker, and turn U so its side sticker matches the colour of the front centre (the edge and the centre make an upside-down T). The edge's top sticker tells you which way it needs to go:

Same colour as the right centre, insert it to the right: U R U' R' U' F' U F

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

Same colour as the left centre, insert it to the left: U' L' U L U F U' F'

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

If an edge is stuck the wrong way in layer 2 (its two stickers flipped, or in the wrong place), do the insert-right algorithm to push it up into layer 3, then insert it again as normal. The picture below shows an edge in place but with its two stickers flipped: insert right, turn U2, then insert right once more.

  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

Once all four edges are in, layers 1 and 2 are done. Each case can be played in Step 3 of the guide. For more detail, with a picture for every stuck case, see the post How to solve the middle layer.

Step 4: Yellow cross

  1. You start with (input)First two layers all correct
  2. Result you will get after finishing this stepYellow cross on top

From here to the end, each step uses just one algorithm; the only difference is how many times you do it. This step flips the four edges of layer 3 so their yellow stickers are on top. The side colours don't need to match yet. The algorithm:

F R U R' U' F'

Look only at the yellow stickers of the four edges on top, ignore the corners, and you will see one of three shapes:

Line: hold the yellow line flat (left to right), do the algorithm once.

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

L shape: hold the L in the back left corner, do the algorithm twice.

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

Just the dot in the middle (the yellow centre): do it once, turn U2, then do it twice more.

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

All three cases can be played in Step 4 of the guide. Steps 4 to 7 all belong to layer 3; the post How to solve the last layer explains each step closely and has a whole part for when the cube looks "broken".

Step 5: Yellow face

  1. You start with (input)Yellow cross on top
  2. Result you will get after finishing this stepWhole yellow face on top

Twist the four corners of layer 3 so the whole top turns yellow. The algorithm for this step is called Sune:

R U R' U R U2 R'

Count the corners with a yellow sticker on top (0, 1 or 2), turn U so your cube matches one of the 7 pictures below, then follow it. The pictures only show the top, front and right; for yellow stickers on the left or the back, go by the words.

One corner with a yellow sticker on top. Keep that corner at front left, then look at the front right corner.

The front right corner's yellow sticker is on the front: Sune once.

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

The front right corner's yellow sticker is on the right: Sune, turn U2, then Sune again.

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

No corner with a yellow sticker on top.

Two yellow stickers on the left, two yellow stickers on the right: Sune twice in a row.

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

Two yellow stickers on the left, one on the front, one on the back: Sune, turn U', then Sune.

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

Two corners with a yellow sticker on top.

The two are diagonal, at back left and front right; the front left corner has its yellow sticker on the front: Sune twice, turn U2, then Sune.

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

The two are at the back; the two front corners have their yellow stickers on the left and on the right: Sune, U2, Sune, U', then Sune.

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

The two are at the back; both front corners have their yellow stickers on the front: Sune, U', Sune, U2, then Sune.

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

No need to memorise all seven: remember the two one-corner cases, and for the rest just compare with the pictures. All 7 cases can be played in Step 5 of the guide.

Step 6: Put the yellow corners in place

  1. You start with (input)Whole yellow face on top
  2. Result you will get after finishing this stepYellow corners in place

Move the four corners of layer 3 to their right places. Each corner has 2 stickers on the sides (ignore the yellow one). A corner is in place when those 2 stickers match the colours of the 2 centres on the faces next to it. For example, the front left corner: the sticker on the front matches the front centre, and the sticker on the left matches the left centre. If no corner looks in place, turn U and check again, trying all 4 positions. The algorithm for this step (speedcubers call it the A-perm):

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

The algorithm keeps the front left corner where it is and swaps the other three corners of layer 3 around.

1 corner in place: turn the whole cube to put it at front left. If the other three need to move clockwise, do the algorithm once.

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

If the other three need to move anticlockwise, do it twice, holding the cube the same way.

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

2 diagonal corners in place: turn the whole cube so those two are at front right and back left, do the algorithm, turn U, then do the algorithm again.

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

2 corners side by side in place: turn the whole cube so those two are on the left (front left and back left), turn U once, do the algorithm, then turn U2.

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

If all four corners are already in place, go straight to the last step. Each case can be played in Step 6 of the guide.

Step 7: Put the yellow edges in place

  1. You start with (input)Yellow corners in place
  2. Result you will get after finishing this stepCube solved

The last step swaps the four remaining edges of layer 3. Find a side whose whole top row is one colour (2 corners and the edge between them), turn the whole cube to put that side at the back, then do the algorithm (U-perm):

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

The front edge of layer 3 needs to go right: do it once.

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

The front edge of layer 3 needs to go left: do it twice.

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

No side has a full top row of one colour yet: do the algorithm once from any angle, then look again. There will definitely be a finished side to put at the back. The two pictures below are cases like that, with the guide's shorter way to solve them.

Each edge swaps with the one opposite it: algorithm, U, algorithm, U'.

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

The front and right edges swap with each other: algorithm, U', algorithm, U.

See it in 3D, before and after
  1. You start with (input)
  2. After the formula

Finish this step and the cube is solved! Each case can be played in Step 7 of the guide.

Want one page with every case from all 7 steps for a quick look-up? See the post The full 3x3 algorithm list for beginners.

Video guide

If you'd like to watch someone explain it with a real cube, this video by J Perm is one of the most popular beginner guides (in English). It keeps the white face on the bottom right from the start and uses a few different algorithms from this post, but the layer by layer idea is the same. When you practise, stick to just one way.

Learn How to Solve a Rubik's Cube in 10 Minutes (Beginner Tutorial)Video · J Perm · YouTube

Stuck? Let EasyRubic solve it with you

Beginners often get stuck on one step and can't tell where they went wrong. The site's layer by layer guide follows exactly the 7 steps above, and every case plays on a 3D cube, one move at a time. With the EasyRubic app you can also scan your real cube with the camera, then see the solution step by step on a 3D cube, split into those same 7 stages.

Get EasyRubic and solve your first Rubik's Cube.

How long does it take a beginner to solve a Rubik's Cube?

The first time, it may take you quite a while because you are reading and turning at the same time, and that is completely normal. After a few days of practice, once you know the algorithms above by heart, you will be able to solve it without looking at the guide. J Perm says that with a simple beginner method, after some practice you can solve it in about 2 to 4 minutes (J Perm).

Don't rush to get faster: solving slowly and correctly matters more than solving fast and making mistakes. To see how your time compares with other cubers, check the table in the post How long does it take to solve a Rubik's Cube? Average times by level, and time yourself on the 3x3 timer page.

Solved it? What's next?

The layer by layer method is easy to pick up but takes a lot of moves. Once you can solve it reliably without looking at the guide, there are two ways to go next:

  • Move on to CFOP. It is the most popular method among speedcubers, with four steps: cross, F2L, OLL and PLL. You already know part of it, because the white cross is the cross. Start with the post What is CFOP?.
  • Look at other advanced methods. CFOP is not the only choice: there is also Roux, ZZ and Petrus. The post 3x3 Rubik's Cube methods: which one should you pick? compares them so you can choose.

Not ready for a new method? You can still get faster by turning more lightly: see the post Rubik's Cube finger tricks.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

How many algorithms does a beginner need to memorise?

Five main ones: the layer 2 edge insert (and its mirror), F R U R' U' F' for the yellow cross, Sune, the A-perm and the U-perm. The first two steps only use short three- or four-move sequences, and you can do them by comparing with the pictures, with nothing to memorise.

How long does it take a beginner to solve a Rubik's Cube?

The first time may take quite a while because you are reading and turning at the same time. Once you get the hang of the layer by layer method, J Perm says you can solve it in about 2 to 4 minutes (J Perm). A table of times for each level is in the post How long does it take to solve a Rubik's Cube?.

Do I have to start with white?

No. White is just a popular habit. You can start with any colour, as long as you stick with it for the whole solve.

I finished step 7 but the cube still isn't solved. What now?

Check that the side with a full top row of one colour is at the back, then do the U-perm one more time. If it is still wrong, an earlier step may have been undone by mistake; scan the cube again and solve it again from the start.

What should I try after the layer by layer method?

Once you can solve it reliably, you can move on to CFOP: cross, F2L, OLL and PLL. It is the most popular method among speedcubers. See the post What is CFOP?, or compare it with Roux, ZZ and Petrus in the post 3x3 Rubik's Cube methods.

Cover photo: Mike Gonzalez (TheCoffee) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

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