To solve a Rubik’s Cube, use a layer-by-layer plan with standard notation, building a cross, finishing two layers, then completing the last layer.
Why This Guide Works
This walkthrough trims the noise and gives you a clean plan that gets real results. You’ll read the move names once, learn what every letter means, then follow a repeatable path from scrambled to solved. No guessy steps, no dead ends, just a steady climb with clear checkpoints.
What You Need
You need a standard 3×3 cube that turns smoothly. A lightly lubricated cube helps, but any working 3×3 will do. Keep a soft surface nearby so dropped pieces don’t scatter. If your cube uses stickerless plastic, color detection is easier under good light.
Cube Notation Made Simple
Written moves use six face letters: U (up), D (down), R (right), L (left), F (front), and B (back). A lone letter means a clockwise quarter turn of that face as viewed from the front of that face. A letter followed by an apostrophe marks a counter-clockwise turn, and a “2” marks a half turn.
| Move | Symbol | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Up Face | U, U’, U2 | Turn the top layer; plain = clockwise, prime = counter, 2 = half turn |
| Right Face | R, R’, R2 | Turn the right layer with the same rule as above |
| Front Face | F, F’, F2 | Turn the front layer; keep the cube facing you |
| Left Face | L, L’, L2 | Turn the left layer; mirror of the right face |
| Down Face | D, D’, D2 | Turn the bottom layer; moves often used to align pieces |
| Back Face | B, B’, B2 | Turn the back layer; visualize the face you are turning |
Solve The 3×3 Cube Step By Step (Beginner Guide)
The plan breaks into seven steady steps. Hold white on top when building the first cross. Match colors to the center squares; centers never move, so they define each face. If a piece seems lost, it isn’t. It’s just in the wrong spot or twisted; the short sequences below move it without breaking your base.
Step 1: Build The White Cross
Find the four white edge pieces. Each edge has two colors, white plus a side color. Place each edge so white sits on top and the side color matches its center on the side face. Use quarter turns of U, R, F, L to bring each edge up and match the centers. If an edge is flipped in place, lift it out with F R' D' R F' and reinsert it with the right color alignment.
Tip: After each placement, spin the top to check that the side color of the new edge lines up with its center. If two opposite edges line up but the other two don’t, move a wrong one down, turn the top, and bring it back up so all four match.
Step 2: Solve The White Corners
Each white corner has three colors. Bring a white corner to the front-right of the top layer and rotate it into the bottom-right front slot using the “right trigger.” If white faces up on the corner in the top layer, use R' D' R repeatedly until the corner drops into place with colors matched on both sides. If the corner sits in the wrong spot, eject it with one trigger and try again.
Watch the side colors as the corner enters. The corner’s two side stickers must match the adjacent centers. If a corner is stuck twisted in its home, pop it out with a single trigger, park it on top, and re-insert with the correct twist.
Step 3: Insert The Middle Edges
Now fill the four middle layer edges. Look for a top layer edge without yellow. Match its side color to its center on the middle ring. If the edge must go to the right, use U R U' R' U' F' U F. If it must go to the left, use U' L' U L U F U' F'. These two short sequences place an edge while keeping the first layer intact.
If an edge is stuck in the middle but flipped, eject it to the top with the wrong-way insert, then use the correct insert to place it in the right orientation. Work around the cube until the middle ring is clean on all four sides.
Step 4: Make A Yellow Cross
Turn the cube so yellow is on top. Your top may show a dot, an L shape, or a line. Use F R U R' U' F' to boost the count of yellow edges. For an L shape, hold the L in the top-left corner. For a line, hold it horizontally. Repeat the sequence until you get a bright yellow line, then a full cross.
Don’t worry about the side colors yet. This step only flips the top edges so yellow faces up.
Step 5: Position The Yellow Edges
With a yellow cross formed, check if the side colors of those edges match their centers. If none match, use R U R' U R U2 R' once and check again. If one or two match, hold a matched edge at the back and run the same sequence until all four edges line up with their centers.
A quick check: after the sequence, the cross stays on top. Only the side positions change. If two adjacent edges match, keep one at the back and the other on the left before running the moves.
Step 6: Position The Yellow Corners
Keep yellow on top. Look for a corner that already sits in its target spot, even if twisted. Hold that corner at the front-right and run U R U' L' U R' U' L until all corners sit in their correct locations. If no corner is correct, run it once to create one, then repeat with that corner at front-right.
This sequence cycles three corners while the front-right stays as your anchor. If you lose track, check sticker pairs against the side centers; a correct corner always matches both adjacent centers.
Step 7: Twist The Yellow Corners
Hold the cube so an unsolved top-right corner faces you. Run the “right trigger” R' D' R D repeatedly until the corner turns upright. Do not move the cube; only turn the top layer to bring the next misoriented corner to the same spot and repeat. When the last corner clicks into place, the cube is solved.
During this step the finished base may look scrambled for a moment. Keep faith and keep the cube fixed in your hands. Once the final corner turns upright, the lower layers snap back to order.
How The Pieces Move
Edges swap in pairs; corners cycle in groups of three. That’s why short sequences can place one piece without wrecking the rest. Learning to see that pattern builds confidence fast, and your hands start to run the triggers on rhythm.
Any time you worry about breaking progress, insert a “setup” turn first to move the target into the front-right workspace, run the mini-sequence, then reverse the setup. That concept powers every advanced plan you’ll meet later, so it’s worth practicing now.
Troubleshooting Common Snags
My White Cross Looks Right But Colors Don’t Match
Spin the top layer until a white edge matches its side center. Then turn the whole cube and check the next edge. If two are wrong, drop one edge to the side with F' U' F, rotate the top, and lift it back.
An Edge Refuses To Go In
If an edge keeps bouncing out, add one setup move. Before the right-side insertion, try U or U' to line up the target slot, then do the sequence. If the edge is flipped in place, eject it with the opposite insert and redo.
Last Layer Corners Keep Wandering
When corners won’t sit still in Step 6, run the sequence twice, keeping the same corner at front-right. That cycles the other three corners while your reference stays put.
Speed Gains Without Memorizing Tons
Clean turning beats raw speed. Keep your elbows relaxed, turn with your fingertips, and aim for fewer cube regrips. Use U, U’, and U2 to bring targets to the right place instead of swinging the whole cube each time. Short pauses drop more time than slow hands.
Try an easy metronome drill: set a gentle beat and turn one face per click through a full solve. The cadence keeps your hands moving while your eyes plan the next move. Times fall as the pauses shrink.
Extra Patterns You’ll Use Often
Sune And Anti-Sune
These quick last layer patterns flip corner orientations with six moves. Sune: R U R' U R U2 R'. Anti-Sune: L' U' L U' L' U2 L. If you reach Step 7 and see one of these shapes, you can fix all four corners fast.
Sexy Move And Sledgehammer
Two tiny workhorses power many inserts. Sexy move: R U R' U'. Sledgehammer: R' F R F'. Mixed with a setup turn, they place or flip a part with minimal collateral damage.
Trusted References If You Want A Visual
If you want an official notation summary, the WCA notation page lays out the letter rules clearly. For a printable card and animated steps, the brand’s solution guides show the same layer plan with pictures.
Practice Plan That Actually Sticks
Run a tight 15-minute loop. Scramble, build a white cross without peeking, then reset and do it again five times. Next, practice Step 3 inserts ten times on a single edge: pick the right insert, reset the piece to the top, and repeat. Finish with two full solves, timing only the last layer to watch the improvement where it matters.
Once that loop feels smooth, add a second set on color neutrality: start on the easiest color you spot, but keep the same plan. Your first two layers get shorter when you accept any friendly start.
Finger Tricks For Smooth Turning
Use your right index for U and your left index for U’ so you can chain back-to-back U moves without regripping. Push R with your right ring finger and pull R’ with your right index from the back edge. For F moves, roll the cube a touch so the face you need becomes the front; that keeps sightlines clear.
Keep grip light. Your hands should float on the plastic. Tight hands burn time and cause lockups. If a turn snags, don’t force it—back off a touch, realign, and continue.
Color Neutral Or Fixed Start?
Starting on white keeps learning simple. Once you’re solving cleanly, try starting on any color that gives you an easy cross. That builds flexibility and often shortens your first two layers. You can always swap back to a fixed start during practice sets to keep times consistent.
Second-Half Confidence Boost
The last layer feels noisy at first. Stick to your anchors: cross, match edges, place corners, then twist corners. If a case looks strange, rotate the top until it matches one of the shapes from this guide. The same two or three short sequences solve almost every top layer you’ll meet.
When you want to go deeper, pick one add-on at a time. Learn a faster top-edge fix, then one more corner pattern. Small upgrades stack without overwhelming your flow.
| Stage | Goal | Typical Moves |
|---|---|---|
| White Cross | Four white edges aligned with side centers | Short F, R, U, L turns; fix flips with F R' D' R F' |
| First Layer Corners | Four corners inserted with colors matched | R' D' R until aligned |
| Middle Edges | Four edges inserted without breaking the base | Right insert U R U' R' U' F' U F / Left insert U' L' U L U F U' F' |
| Yellow Cross | Top edges face up to form a cross | F R U R' U' F' from L or line state |
| Yellow Edges | Side colors of top edges match centers | R U R' U R U2 R' until aligned |
| Yellow Corners (Place) | All four corners in the right spots | U R U' L' U R' U' L as needed |
| Yellow Corners (Twist) | All corners oriented; cube solved | Repeat R' D' R D per corner |
When You’re Ready To Get Faster
Once this plan feels easy, learn six extra last layer shapes so you solve the top with fewer repeats. Try a light cube with rounded pieces for smoother corner cutting. If you want to chase speed, look up a full method such as CFOP and add it one stage at a time, starting with four efficient cross plans and a clean pair-making habit.
Timed solves don’t need to be daily. Two short sessions a week with focused drills beat long unfocused sprints. Keep a small notepad or timer app log with three lines: cross moves, pauses you felt, case that slowed you. Fix one line next time.
One-Page Recap You Can Screenshot
Setup
Know your letters. Keep white on top to start. Match colors to centers.
Base
White cross, then four white corners. Every corner drops with a short trigger.
Middle
Insert four edges with the right or left insert. Avoid regrips by using U turns.
Top
Form a yellow cross, match edges, place corners, twist corners. Keep the top-right slot as your working bay for Step 7, and rotate only the top between runs.