Manual 3x3 tutorial
Learn by matching the picture first.
This guide assumes you have never solved a cube before. Each step shows the target pattern, how to choose the next piece, why that choice matters, what to do when the cube does not match the simple case, and exactly what the result should look like before you continue.
0
Before you start
Know what you are looking at
Center
F
Centers do not move. They tell you which color belongs on that side.
Edge
F
An edge has two colors. Cross pieces are edge pieces.
Corner
F
A corner has three colors and must fit between three centers.
Hold the cubeWhite will eventually go on the bottom. Yellow will be on top.
RememberSolve layers, not one flat face. Matching the side colors matters.
Read movesFollow algorithms left to right. A prime mark means reverse direction. A 2 means turn twice.
Why centers matterYou do not choose where colors go. The centers define the solved cube, so every edge and corner is judged by the centers around it.
If something feels impossibleCheck that every color appears exactly nine times in setup. If the physical cube was taken apart and reassembled wrong, normal algorithms may not solve it.
Preview the cube pieces
1
Step 1
Make the daisy, then the white cross
Daisy: white petals around the yellow center
Y
Expected result: white cross on bottom
W
Repeat on all four sides
green over green
red over red
blue over blue
orange over orange
What you are makingFour white edge pieces around the yellow center first, then the same four white edges around the white center.
Build the daisyFind each white edge and use short face turns to lift it beside the yellow center. The preview shows one simple example path, not a required algorithm.
Line it upLook at the other color on each white petal. Rotate only the top layer until green is over green, red over red, blue over blue, or orange over orange.
Send it downWhen the side color matches, turn that side twice. Repeat this align-then-drop pattern for all four petals.
Why use the daisyIt gives beginners a safe staging area. The white sticker is easy to see on top, and the side color can be matched before the edge is sent down.
If the white cross is wrongA bottom white plus is not enough. If a side color does not match its center, move that edge back to the top, match the side color, then drop it again.
You are done whenThe bottom has a white plus, and each side cross piece matches the center above it.
2
Step 2
Solve the white corners
Target slot: front-right corner
F
Expected result: full white bottom face
W
Layer check: white face alone is not enough
Before Step 3, the row touching the white face must match the center on every side.
Hold the cubeKeep white on the bottom. Put the empty corner slot at front-right.
What to doFind a white corner in the top layer. Turn only the top until it sits above its matching slot, then repeat the trigger for each corner.
Common mistakeDo not twist the whole cube while repeating. Keep the same front face until the corner is solved.
Why match the slot firstA white corner has two side colors too. It belongs only between those two side centers and the white center.
If the white face is solved but sides are notYou have a white face, not a solved white layer. Eject each wrong white corner, match it to its two side centers, then insert it again.
If the corner is stuck belowIf a white corner is in the bottom but wrong or twisted, hold it at front-right and run the trigger once to lift it out. Then align it above the correct slot.
If white faces sidewaysKeep repeating the trigger from the same front-right slot. The corner may need several repeats before white faces down.
Corner trigger
3
Step 3
Solve the middle layer edges
Expected result: white bottom + side middle solved
Bottom face: all white. Side faces: the lower two rows match their centers. The top row can still be mixed.
Use a top edge with no yellow on either sticker
Y
No yellow means the whole edge piece has no yellow, not just the sticker facing the front.
Start Step 3 only after Step 2 is truly doneIf the white face is all white but a side row looks like blue-green-red, go back to white corners. Middle-edge inserts will not fix misplaced white corners.
What you are makingThe bottom white layer and the middle ring of side colors.
What to doFind a top edge with no yellow on either sticker. Match its front color to the front center, then choose right insert or left insert.
Why reject yellow edgesYellow edges belong in the last layer. If you insert one into the middle, you remove a piece that must stay on top for the yellow cross.
How to choose right or leftAfter the front color matches the front center, look at the edge's other color. If that color belongs on the right face, use right insert. If it belongs on the left face, use left insert.
If every top edge has yellowA non-yellow edge is trapped in the middle layer wrong or flipped. Hold that bad middle edge at front-right or front-left and run the matching insert once to eject it to the top.
You are done whenThe bottom face is all white, and the lower two rows on every side face are solid matching colors.
4
Step 4
Make the yellow cross
Dot: only center yellow
Y
L: hold it at back-left
Y
Line: hold it horizontal
Y
Expected result: yellow cross
Y
What to ignoreIgnore yellow corner stickers for now. Only the four yellow edge stickers matter.
What to doHold the case as shown, run the algorithm, then look again. Repeat until the yellow cross appears.
Why corners do not matter yetThis algorithm changes edge orientation. Corner yellows can look helpful or distracting, but they are handled in the next step.
If the case changes but is not solvedThat is normal. Re-identify the new top pattern after each run, hold the L or line correctly, then run the same algorithm again.
If nothing seems to changeCheck the front face. The first and last moves are F and F', so holding the case from the wrong side makes the algorithm act on the wrong edge set.
You are done whenThe top face has a yellow plus. The corners do not need to be yellow yet.
Yellow cross
5
Steps 5 and 6
Place and twist the yellow corners
Correct location: corner colors match nearby centers
Front
Right
Top
Twist target: unsolved corner at front-right
Y
Expected result: full yellow top
Y
Position firstA corner can be in the right place even if yellow is not facing up. Match the three corner colors to the three nearby centers.
Twist secondPut an untwisted yellow corner at front-right. Repeat the twist until yellow faces up, then turn only the top layer to the next corner.
Do not panicThe solved lower layers may look broken during corner twisting. They return when all four yellow corners are twisted.
Why location comes before twistTwisting a corner in the wrong location only makes a solved-looking yellow top with side colors in the wrong places.
If no corner is correctly locatedRun the corner cycle once from any front face, then check again. Usually one corner becomes correctly located and can be used as your reference.
If the cube looks broken while twistingDo not stop halfway. Finish the current corner, turn only the top layer to the next unsolved corner, and continue until all yellow corners face up.
Preview corner orientation
6
Final step
Position the yellow edges
Solved side: hold this side at the back
back solved
left moves
front moves
right moves
Expected result: every face is solved
What you are makingThe yellow top is already complete. Now only the side edge positions need to cycle.
What to doIf one side is solved, hold it at the back. If no side is solved, do either algorithm once and check again.
Why hold solved side at backThe algorithm cycles the other three side edges. Holding the solved side at the back protects it while the front, left, and right edges move.
If no side is solvedYou are in the no-reference case. Run one edge cycle once, then inspect all four sides again. A solved side should appear.
If it cycles the wrong wayUse the other edge-cycle direction, or run the same cycle again after checking the solved side is still at the back.
You are done whenAll six faces are solid colors and every side face has one complete color.
Edge cycle clockwise
Edge cycle counterclockwise
7
Practice
Go one target at a time
Slow is fineStop after every lesson and compare your cube to the expected-result picture.
Use TurnSolve safelyIf your real cube no longer matches the lesson target, enter it into TurnSolve and use the solver to recover.
RepeatThe method becomes clear after a few slow solves because the same target patterns return every time.
Ask why before turningBefore each algorithm, name the piece, name where it belongs, and name what the algorithm is supposed to preserve.
When stuckGo back to the last finished checkpoint: white cross, white bottom, middle layer, yellow cross, yellow top, then final sides.
References: official Rubik's solution guide and Cubzor beginner method algorithms.
