Holding a scrambled Rubik's Cube for the first time can feel overwhelming. With more than 43 quintillion possible configurations (43,252,003,274,489,856,000 to be precise), randomly twisting faces will never solve it. Yet mathematicians have proven that every single scrambled state can be solved in 20 moves or fewer — a threshold known as 'God's Number'.
You do not need to be a math prodigy or possess superhuman spatial reasoning to solve a Rubik's Cube. What you need is an orderly roadmap: the Layer-by-Layer (LBL) method. Millions of people around the world have solved their first cube using this exact blueprint.
The biggest mistake beginners make is trying to solve one face at a time (e.g. getting all 9 white stickers together, only to scramble them when attempting the green side). With the Layer-by-Layer approach, we solve the cube progressively from the bottom to the top. By following the 7 steps detailed below, your scrambled cube will be completely solved today.
Anatomy of the Cube: How the Puzzle Works
Before turning any face, you must understand the 3 types of pieces that make up every 3x3 Rubik's Cube. Remember the cardinal rule: you solve pieces, not stickers!
Center Pieces (6 pieces)
Center pieces are physically anchored to the internal core mechanism. They never move relative to one another. White is always opposite Yellow, Green is opposite Blue, and Red is opposite Orange. The center piece dictates the final color of that entire face.
Edge Pieces (12 pieces)
Edge pieces sit between centers. Each edge has exactly two colored stickers (e.g. White-Green or Red-Yellow). An edge piece can never move to a corner position, and vice-versa.
Corner Pieces (8 pieces)
Corner pieces occupy the eight vertices of the cube. Each corner has three colored stickers (e.g. White-Blue-Red). Corners can only ever move to other corner slots.
Move Notation & The 2 Magic Triggers
World Cube Association (WCA) notation uses single capital letters to represent clockwise 90° rotations of each face. An apostrophe (') denotes counter-clockwise (called 'prime'). The beauty of the beginner method is that almost every step relies on just two 4-move sequences called 'triggers'.
The Righty Algorithm (Sexy Move)
Right face UP → Top face LEFT → Right face DOWN → Top face RIGHT
This is the single most important sequence in cubing. Practice this 4-move cycle until it becomes second nature and flows effortlessly from your fingers.
The Lefty Algorithm
Left face UP → Top face RIGHT → Left face DOWN → Top face LEFT
The mirror reflection of the Righty Alg. Used when inserting corner or edge pieces from the left-hand side.
The 7-Step Beginner Solving Method
Keep your cube oriented consistently during each step. We begin with the White Cross on the bottom and work our way upward.
Step 1: The Daisy and The White Cross
We start by forming a 'Daisy' on the Yellow face, then drop the petals down to form a properly aligned White Cross on the bottom.
- Hold the cube with the Yellow center on top and White center on bottom.
- Locate all 4 white edge pieces and move them to surround the Yellow center like petals of a daisy (the side colors do not matter yet).
- Look at one white petal. Check its side sticker (e.g. Green). Turn the top layer (U) until that green sticker matches the Green center piece.
- Rotate that face twice (F2) to swing the white edge down to the White bottom face.
- Repeat for all 4 petals. You now have a White Cross where every white edge matches its corresponding side center!
Step 2: First Layer Corners
Solve all 4 white corners into their correct slots to finish the entire first layer and create uniform 'T' shapes on all 4 sides.
- Keep the White Cross on the bottom. Look in the top layer for a corner piece with a white sticker.
- Check the other two colors on that corner (e.g. White-Red-Blue).
- Rotate the top layer (U) until that corner sits directly above its destination slot (between the Red and Blue center pieces).
- Hold the cube so the target slot is in the front-right. Execute the Righty Algorithm: R U R' U'.
- Repeat the Righty Algorithm 1, 3, or 5 times until the corner slots into place with white facing downward.
- Repeat for all 4 corners. If a white corner is stuck in the bottom layer, do R U R' U' once to pop it into the top layer.
Step 3: Second Layer (Middle Edges)
Insert the 4 middle layer edge pieces to complete the first two layers (F2L) without disrupting the solved white face.
- Keep White on the bottom. Search the top layer for an edge piece that does NOT have any yellow sticker.
- Look at the front-facing color of this edge. Turn the U layer until it matches its center color, forming a vertical 'T'.
- Look at the top sticker of that edge. Does it need to go to the RIGHT slot or the LEFT slot?
- To insert RIGHT: Turn top away (U) → Righty Alg (R U R' U') → Rotate cube 90° right (y') → Lefty Alg (L' U' L U).
- To insert LEFT: Turn top away (U') → Lefty Alg (L' U' L U) → Rotate cube 90° left (y) → Righty Alg (R U R' U').
- Repeat for all 4 edges. If a middle edge is in the right slot but flipped backwards, insert any yellow dummy edge into that slot to push it out into the top layer.
Step 4: Top Yellow Cross
Form a yellow cross on the top face by cycling through three predictable geometric patterns.
- Look ONLY at the yellow edges on top (ignore yellow corners completely).
- State 1 (Dot): Only the yellow center is lit. Execute F (R U R' U') F' from any angle to reach State 2.
- State 2 (L-Shape): Two adjacent yellow edges form a 90° angle. Position the 'L' in the top-left (9 o'clock and 12 o'clock), then execute F (R U R' U') F'.
- State 3 (Horizontal Line): A straight line across the top. Hold it HORIZONTALLY (at 9 and 3 o'clock) and execute F (R U R' U') F'.
- You now have a completed Yellow Cross on the top face!
Step 5: Permuting Yellow Edges (Matching Centers)
Reorder the 4 yellow edges so their side colors match the red, green, orange, and blue center pieces.
- Rotate the U layer to see how many yellow edges match their side centers. You will always be able to match at least two.
- Case A (Two Adjacent Edges Match): Hold the cube so one solved edge is at the BACK and one solved edge is on the RIGHT. Execute: R U R' U R U2 R' U.
- Case B (Two Opposite Edges Match): Hold one solved edge at FRONT and one at BACK. Execute the formula once; you will now have two adjacent matching edges (Case A).
- All 4 yellow edges will now match their respective side centers.
Step 6: Positioning Last Layer Corners
Move all four yellow corners to their correct slots. The corner doesn't need to be rotated right yet — it just needs to sit between its 3 matching center colors.
- Inspect all 4 top corners. A corner is in the 'correct slot' if its three colors match the three adjacent centers (e.g. Yellow-Red-Green corner between Yellow, Red, and Green centers).
- Case 1 (Zero corners in place): Execute U R U' L' U R' U' L from any angle. Exactly one corner will now be in its correct place.
- Case 2 (One corner in place): Hold the cube so that correct corner is in the FRONT-RIGHT. Execute: U R U' L' U R' U' L.
- Check corners again. If they are still not all in place, repeat the algorithm one more time.
- All four corners are now in their correct physical slots!
Step 7: Orienting Yellow Corners (Solved!)
The thrilling grand finale! Rotate the yellow corners so yellow faces upward, without scrambling the rest of the cube.
- FLIP THE ENTIRE CUBE UPSIDE DOWN so the White face is on TOP and the Yellow face is on the BOTTOM.
- Locate an unsolved corner (a corner where yellow is not facing down) in the BOTTOM-RIGHT position.
- Execute R U R' U' repeatedly (either 2 or 4 times) until the yellow sticker faces downward into the bottom face.
- CRITICAL: The rest of the cube will look scrambled — DO NOT PANIC! It will fix itself.
- DO NOT ROTATE THE CUBE! Turn ONLY the bottom layer (D or D') to bring the next unsolved corner into that bottom-right slot.
- Repeat R U R' U' until that corner is oriented.
- Continue until all corners have yellow on the bottom. Finally, turn the bottom layer to align the colors. CONGRATULATIONS, YOUR RUBIK'S CUBE IS SOLVED!
5 Common Beginner Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
If you ever get stuck or your cube seems to scramble itself unexpectedly, check these five common pitfalls:
❌1. Rotating the Whole Cube During Step 7
Problem: Beginners panic when the cube appears broken during Step 7 and rotate their whole cube to find the next corner.
Solution: Keep the White face firmly on top and only rotate the bottom layer (D) to bring the next corner to your working slot.
❌2. Skipping the 4th Move (U') in the Righty Alg
Problem: Stopping after R U R' leaves the top layer out of phase and breaks edge alignments.
Solution: Always complete all 4 moves of R U R' U', especially when inserting corners.
❌3. Trying to Solve Face-by-Face
Problem: Focusing on completing the red, green, or blue face without respecting the lower layers.
Solution: Always solve Layer-by-Layer: First layer, then middle layer edges, then top cross and corners.
❌4. Physically Twisted Corner (Impossible Parity)
Problem: If someone accidentally twisted a corner piece while handling the cube, it may be mathematically impossible to solve.
Solution: If you reach Step 7 and exactly one corner is twisted, physically twist it back into place. A standard cube can never have only 1 twisted corner.
❌5. Ignoring Center Piece Color Standards
Problem: Assuming centers can be moved to match corners.
Solution: Centers never move. White is always opposite Yellow, Blue opposite Green, and Red opposite Orange on standard western cubes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take for a complete beginner to learn to solve a Rubik's cube?
Most beginners can solve their first cube within 45 to 60 minutes with this guide. After solving it 5 to 10 times, the steps will be committed to muscle memory, and you will be able to solve it in under 2 minutes without looking at cheat sheets.
Do I need to memorize all formulas right away?
Not at all! Keep this page open on your phone or computer. The beginner method uses primarily the Righty Alg (R U R' U') and Lefty Alg (L' U' L U). You only need to memorize 3 other short formulas (F R U R' U' F', Sune, and Niklas).
What is God's Number for the Rubik's Cube?
In 2010, computer scientists proved that any of the 43 quintillion scrambles of a 3x3 Rubik's Cube can be solved in at most 20 moves. This minimum upper bound is called God's Number.
What should I learn after mastering the beginner method?
Once you can solve the cube in under 90 seconds, you should learn CFOP (Fridrich Method): Cross, Intuitive F2L (First Two Layers simultaneously), 2-Look OLL (Orient Last Layer), and 2-Look PLL (Permute Last Layer).
Mastering the Cube: Your Journey Begins Here
Solving a Rubik's Cube is one of the most rewarding mental achievements you can accomplish. What once seemed like an unsolvable mathematical riddle is now a sequence of logical, predictable steps that you can reproduce anytime.
Be patient with yourself during your first few attempts. Don't worry about solving it fast; focus on understanding how each piece moves and why each algorithm works. Within a few days, your hands will move automatically through muscle memory.
Ready to practice? Use our interactive 3D solver and beginner guides below to inspect move sequences in real-time!
Test Your Cube on Our Free Interactive Tools
Stuck on a tricky scramble? Paint your cube colors in our 3D visual solver to get an immediate step-by-step animated walkthrough, or practice your solve times with our official WCA timer.
More Guides & Masterclasses
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The Complete CFOP (Fridrich) Method Masterclass: Cross, F2L, OLL & PLL
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