How To Solve A Rubik's Cube For Beginners

07 Jan 2022 | ~4 minute read

This is a simple beginner's guide on how to solve a 3x3 Rubik's Cube. I've split the process up into steps that hopefully make it easier to learn.

It won't teach you to be a speed cuber, but it will teach you how to solve the Rubik's Cube...hopefully.

When I was learning how to solve the Rubik's Cube, I decided I wanted to try and learn how to do it myself without a guide. For the most part, that didn't work, but it was a fun process.

At this point I can do a solve in around 90 second on average. Far from speed cubers with their sub 10 second solves, but not too bad either.

While learning how to solve, I read many guides that showed complicated algorithms to learn so that solves are as quick as possible. That isn't the aim of this guide. Instead, what I want to do is simply demonstrate how I break the process of solving the Rubik's Cube down so that you can do it too.

If after that you want to go and learn all those complicated algorithms, so you can do 10 second solves, that's cool. Personally, I have no aspirations of being a speed cuber; I just find the process of solving the cube cathartic.

If you don't have a cube yet, I'd recommend the Moyu Meilong M which is the cube I use. It's cheap, but has a smooth motion that's good for beginners like you and me.

I hope you enjoy this beginner's guide to solving the 3x3 Rubik's Cube.

Example solve

Before we begin with the beginner's guide, I wanted to show you what a full solve looks like using the process I have outlined in this post.

Once you become familiar with this process, or refine it to make it better, you should be able to do solves much quicker than this.

Ok, now you know what a full solve looks like, let's scramble our Rubik's Cube and start the process of solving it...

Step 1 - the white cross

The first step is to find the white face (rotate the cube so that the side with the white piece in the centre is facing the top). Then we need to arrange the pieces so there's a white cross on the face:

Step 2 - completing the first layer

Now that we have the white cross, it's time to complete the first layer. Here we will be filling in the corner pieces of the white face, ensuring that all the sides match too.

Step 3 - completing the second layer

So the first layer is complete already. That was easy, huh? Right then, time to move on and complete the second layer now.

Things start to get a little more involved on this step as there are a couple of algorithms to learn. Here's how we complete the second layer:

Step 4 - the yellow cross

We now have 2/3 of the Rubik's Cube solved. We're cooking on gas, folks! Next up we need to create a yellow cross on the top face and orient the cross so that it matches the correct side faces.

It's relatively simple to do; here's how:

Step 5 - solve the cube!

If you have made it this far, well done! It took me weeks of practice to get to this point. So congrats on having the tenacity to stick with this thing.

Right then, the last step in solving the cube is to rearrange the corner pieces on the yellow face so that they're in the right position.

Once they're in position, we then have to rotate them so they're the right way up too. Then, hey presto, the Rubik's Cube is solved! 🎉

Final thoughts on solving the Rubik's Cube

Did you manage to do it? If so, I'm really happy that this Rubik's Cube beginner's guide was useful for you.

Continue to practice the algorithms and eventually they will become muscle memory. From there, if you want to continue getting better, start looking at speed cubing algorithms and work toward those 10 second solves!

If you want to replay these videos back-to-back instead of having to wade through my drivel, I made a playlist on YouTube that you can follow along with.

I hope you managed to follow this guide and found it useful. If you have any tips on how I can make it more beginner friendly, please do get in touch using the button below. Or, better yet, let me know your solve times!

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