How this Rubik’s Cube solver works
This page solves any scrambled 3x3 Rubik’s Cube. You copy the colours of your cube onto the flat map above, press Solve, and it works out a short solution – usually around 20 moves – with Herbert Kociemba’s two-phase algorithm, the method most computer solvers use. The calculation runs in your own browser, so nothing is uploaded anywhere.
The 3D cube then plays the solution back one move at a time. Step forward and back as often as you like and turn your real cube along with it until every face is a single colour.
A solver gets your cube back to solved, but it does not teach you how. If you want to be able to do it on your own, the app’s tutorial walks you through the beginner’s method in seven short stages.
How to enter your cube’s colours
- Hold the cube the same way the whole time: white centre on top, green centre facing you. Centre pieces never move, so they tell the solver which side is which.
- Front: paint the face looking at you exactly as you see it, row by row.
- Right, Back, Left: turn the whole cube a quarter turn to the left (white stays on top) and paint the face that now looks at you. Repeat twice more. On the net these faces sit in one row: Left, Front, Right, Back.
- Top: from the starting position, tip the cube towards you so the white face looks at you. The row that touched the green face is now at the bottom – on the net, the Top face sits right above Front.
- Bottom: from the starting position, tip the cube away from you. The row that touched green is now at the top – on the net, Bottom sits right below Front.
- Check the 3D preview and the counters under the colours: every colour must appear exactly 9 times.
Reading the solution: cube notation
Each move is a letter for one face of the cube. A letter on its own means a quarter turn clockwise, as if you were looking straight at that face. A letter with an apostrophe (R′, said “R prime”) means a quarter turn counter-clockwise. A 2 (R2) means a half turn – the direction doesn’t matter.
| Letter | Face | Clockwise | Counter-clockwise |
|---|---|---|---|
| U | Up (top) |  U |  U′ |
| D | Down (bottom) |  D |  D′ |
| R | Right |  R |  R′ |
| L | Left |  L |  L′ |
| F | Front |  F |  F′ |
| B | Back |  B |  B′ |
Keep holding the cube with white on top and green in front for the whole solution – the solver never asks you to turn the whole cube, only single faces.
Frequently asked questions
Does the online solver cost anything?
No. The web solver needs no sign-up and shows no ads. The app is free to download; it shows ads and offers an optional upgrade.
How many moves does the solution take?
Usually between 18 and 22. Every position of a 3x3 can be solved in 20 moves or fewer; this solver finds a near-optimal solution in a fraction of a second instead of searching much longer for the absolute shortest one.
Why does the solver say my cube can’t exist?
Almost always one or two squares were entered with the wrong colour, and the message tells you which kind of piece to check and marks it in red. If a corner was twisted by force or the cube was taken apart, the physical cube itself can be unsolvable – then fix it by hand as the message describes.
Can I scan my cube with the camera?
Not on this website – for that, use the app. You point your phone at each face and the colours are filled in automatically, then the solution plays in 3D.
Does it work for other puzzles?
This page solves the standard 3x3 cube with the usual colours (white opposite yellow, green opposite blue, red opposite orange). The app also solves the 2x2 Pocket Cube.