You’ve probably seen one sitting on a shelf, dusty and scrambled, mocking you. It’s that 3x3 plastic block of frustration. Most people pick it up, twist a few faces, get one side done by sheer luck, and then give up when they realize moving one piece ruins everything else they just built. It’s annoying. I get it. But honestly? Learning rubiks cube how to solve isn't about being a math genius or having a 160 IQ. It’s actually just muscle memory and realizing that the center pieces never move.
Seriously. The yellow center is always opposite the white center. Red is opposite orange. Blue is opposite green. Once you accept that the centers are fixed anchors, the whole "puzzle" starts to look more like a mechanical sequence and less like a chaotic mess of colors.
The truth about those "Genius" solvers
We’ve all seen the videos of kids doing this in five seconds. It looks like magic. It isn't. Those speedcubers are using a method called CFOP (Cross, F2L, OLL, PLL), which involves memorizing hundreds of different cases. You don't need that. Not yet, anyway. If you want to know rubiks cube how to solve without losing your mind, you start with the Layer-by-Layer method.
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Think of it like building a house. You don't try to put the windows in while the foundation is still wet. You start at the bottom and work your way up. Most beginners fail because they try to solve colors. Don't solve colors. Solve layers.
The White Cross (The foundation)
First thing's first. Hold the cube so the white center is on top. Your goal is to create a white cross, but there’s a catch that trips everyone up. The side colors of those white edge pieces have to match the side centers. If you have a white-green edge piece next to the red center, it’s wrong. It’s useless.
You have to align the green part of that edge with the green center, then flip it up to the white face. It’s intuitive, mostly. You don't need fancy notation like $R' U F'$ for this part. Just play with it until you see the cross. If you mess up a piece you already placed, just move it out of the way, fix the new one, and move the old one back. Simple.
Solving the first layer corners
Now that you have a cross, you need to tuck the corners in. This is where people start overthinking. Find a corner piece on the bottom layer that has white on it. Let's say it's the white-red-blue corner. Twist the bottom layer until that piece is directly underneath where it needs to go (between the red and blue centers).
Now, use this four-move sequence. Cubers call it the "Sexy Move" because it’s so smooth and used constantly:
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- Right side up ($R$)
- Top layer left ($U$)
- Right side down ($R'$)
- Top layer right ($U'$)
Keep doing those four moves. Eventually, that corner will slot itself into the top layer perfectly oriented. Do that for all four corners. Congrats. You’ve solved the first layer. Take a breath. Look at the cube. The top should be solid white, and you should see little "T" shapes on all the side faces. If you don't see those Ts, you messed up the alignment. Go back. Fix it.
The Middle Layer (The "Second Floor")
Flip the cube over. White stays on the bottom now. We’re never looking at it again. Now we need to fill in those four edge pieces in the middle layer. This is where most people get stuck because it requires the first real "algorithm."
Find an edge piece on the top layer that doesn't have yellow on it. Let’s say it’s green and orange. Rotate the top layer until the green side of that edge matches the green center. Now, you’re either moving that piece to the right or to the left.
If it’s going to the right, you move the top away from the destination, do the right-hand four-move sequence, rotate the whole cube, and do a left-hand version of those same moves. It feels clunky at first. Your fingers will fumble. You’ll probably drop the cube once or twice. That’s fine.
The Yellow Cross: Don't panic
You’ve got two layers done. The bottom two-thirds of the cube look perfect. Now you look at the top. It’s a mess of yellow. Don't worry about the corners yet. Just look at the yellow edges.
You’ll see one of four things:
- Just the center dot.
- An "L" shape.
- A horizontal line.
- The cross is already done (lucky you).
There is one specific move to fix this: $F (R U R' U') F'$. Basically, you flip the front face, do that four-move sequence from earlier, and flip the front face back. If you have the "L," hold it so it’s in the back-left corner. If you have the line, hold it horizontally. Keep doing the move until the cross appears.
Positioning the yellow edges
The cross is there, but the edges probably don't match the side centers. You need to swap them. Twist the top layer until two edges match their centers. If they are opposite each other, do the following algorithm from any angle. If they are adjacent (next to each other), hold them so one is at the back and one is on the right.
The move: $R U R' U R U2 R'$.
It looks long. It’s not. It’s just "Up, Over, Down, Over, Up, Over-Over, Down."
The final stretch: Corners are the enemy
Almost there. Now we need to get the corners in the right spots. They don't have to be turned the right way yet; they just need to be in the right "neighborhood." Look for one corner that is in the correct place. For example, the yellow-green-red corner should be sitting between the yellow, green, and red centers.
If none are right, do this: $U R U' L' U R' U' L$.
Once one is right, hold that one in the front-right corner and do it again. Eventually, all four corners will be in their correct homes.
The scary part (Don't break the cube)
This is where 90% of beginners fail. They get to the very last step, mess up one move, and the whole cube scrambles.
Flip the cube back over so white is on top again. Find a yellow corner on the bottom that isn't solved. Do that same four-move sequence ($R U R' U'$) until the yellow is facing down.
CRITICAL: Once that corner is solved, do NOT rotate the whole cube. Only rotate the bottom layer to bring the next unsolved corner to the front-right spot. Repeat the moves. The rest of the cube will look like a disaster while you’re doing this. Your brain will scream that you’re ruining it. Ignore your brain. Keep going. Once the last corner flips, the rest of the cube will magically snap back into place.
One final turn of the bottom layer and you're done.
Why you should keep practicing
So you solved it. You probably had to look at a cheat sheet ten times. That's how it starts. The first time I solved one, it took me forty minutes and a lot of swearing. But then you do it again. And again.
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The human brain is weirdly good at recognizing patterns. After about 20 solves, you won't be thinking "Right side up, top left." Your hand will just move. That’s muscle memory.
Common pitfalls to avoid
- Buying a cheap cube: If you're using a generic brand from a grocery store, throw it away. They lock up and break. Get a "speedcube" from brands like MoYu or GAN. Even a $10 one feels like butter compared to the originals.
- Thinking it's about speed: Speed comes later. Right now, focus on "lookahead." Try to see where the next piece is going while you’re moving the current one.
- Applying too much tension: If you buy a professional cube, don't mess with the springs yet. You'll make it pop and pieces will fly across the room.
How to get faster
- Learn Finger Tricks: Stop using your whole hand to turn the faces. Use your index fingers to flick the top layer.
- Memorize the notation: Get comfortable with $R, L, U, D, F, B$. It makes reading guides way faster.
- Transition to F2L: Instead of doing corners then edges, learn to slot them in as pairs. It's the single biggest jump in difficulty but cuts your time in half.
Solving a Rubik's Cube is a party trick, sure, but it's also a great way to keep your hands busy and your brain sharp. There’s a whole community out there—the World Cube Association (WCA) holds competitions globally. Even if you never plan on competing, there is something deeply satisfying about the "click" of that final turn.
Now, go scramble it and start again.
Actionable Next Steps
- Identify the centers: Pick up your cube and confirm the color scheme (White opposite Yellow, etc.).
- Master the "Sexy Move": Practice $R U R' U'$ until you can do it with your eyes closed. This is the engine of almost every beginner solve.
- Download a Timer: Use an app like CSTimer to track your progress; seeing those numbers drop from 5 minutes to 2 minutes is a massive dopamine hit.
- Learn the Notation: Familiarize yourself with the basic clockwise and counter-clockwise symbols so you can follow more advanced tutorials without visual aids.