Can I solve a Speed Cube without memorizing algorithms?

Not entirely — the last two layers need a few algorithms. The fastest way to get a guaranteed solution for any scramble is to enter your cube into the free Cube Mastery Guide solver and follow the animated steps.

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Cube Mastery Guide

How to Solve a 3×3 Speed Cube: Beginner's Guide

Layer-by-layer method · ~20 minutes to learn · Updated 12 June 2026

To solve a Speed Cube as a beginner, use the layer-by-layer method: build the white cross, solve the white corners, fill the middle layer, then finish the yellow last layer in three short steps. It needs only about five simple algorithms and takes most people under an hour to learn.

If you just want the answer for the cube in your hands right now, enter its colors into our free solver and follow the animated 3D steps:

Solve my cube in 3D →

What you'll need

A standard 3×3 Speed Cube (with white and yellow on opposite faces).
About 20–30 minutes and a little patience.
That's it — no prior experience required.

Cube notation (read this first)

Every algorithm is written using single letters for the six faces. Each letter means "turn that face 90° clockwise" (as if you're looking straight at it).

Letter	Face	Modifiers
`R`	Right	`'` (prime) = counter-clockwise · `2` = 180° turn
`L`	Left
`U`	Up (top)
`D`	Down (bottom)
`F`	Front
`B`	Back

So R turns the right face clockwise, R' turns it counter-clockwise, and R2 turns it twice.

Step 1 — Make the white cross

Make a white plus-sign on the top face, with each white edge's side color matching the center beneath it.

This step is intuitive — no algorithm needed. Hold white on top, find the four white edge pieces, and bring each one up so its second color lines up with the matching center color (the cross "petals" must match the sides, forming a T on each face).

Step 2 — Solve the white corners

Put each white corner directly below where it belongs, then repeat R U R' U' until it pops into place white-side up.

Find a white corner in the bottom layer and turn the bottom so it sits under its target spot (between its two matching side colors).
Repeat the trigger R U R' U' up to five times until the corner is solved with white on top.
Repeat for all four corners. Your first layer is now complete.

Step 3 — Solve the middle layer

Flip the cube so white is on the bottom, then insert each middle-layer edge to the left or right with one of two algorithms.

Find a top-layer edge that has no yellow on it, and align it with its matching center. Then:

Edge goes…	Algorithm
to the right	U R U' R' U' F' U F
to the left	U' L' U L U F U' F'

If an edge is stuck in the wrong middle slot, do either algorithm once to pop it out, then insert it correctly.

Step 4 — Make the yellow cross

Repeat F R U R' U' F' until the top face shows a yellow cross.

You'll pass through three patterns — a dot, an L-shape, then a line — before reaching the cross. Hold the L so its arms point up-and-left; hold the line horizontally. Repeat the algorithm until the yellow cross appears (the corners don't matter yet).

Step 5 — Position & orient the last-layer corners

Cycle the yellow corners into the right spots with U R U' L' U R' U' L, then orient them with the R U R' U' trigger.

Find a corner already in its correct location (matching the two adjacent side colors) and hold it at the front-right. Repeat U R U' L' U R' U' L until all four corners are in the right places (colors may still be twisted).
Then, holding an unsolved corner front-right, repeat R U R' U' until that corner shows yellow on top — turn only the top (U) to bring the next corner to front-right and repeat. The cube looks scrambled mid-step; that's normal.

Step 6 — Position the last-layer edges (finish!)

Cycle the final edges with F2 U L R' F2 L' R U F2 until the cube is solved.

If one face's edge is already solved, hold it at the back and run the algorithm to cycle the other three. Repeat (turning to keep a solved face at the back) until every side is a single color. You solved the Speed Cube! 🎉

These are the widely-used standard beginner algorithms. Go slowly your first few times. Stuck on a specific scramble? Enter it into the solver and watch the exact moves animate in 3D.

Common beginner mistakes

Cross edges not matching the centers — a white cross alone isn't enough; the side colors must line up.
Turning the wrong face mid-algorithm — keep the cube oriented the same way for an entire algorithm.
Panicking when it looks scrambled — the last-layer steps temporarily mess up other pieces. Finish the algorithm and it comes back.

What to learn next

Once you can solve the cube reliably, speed it up with the CFOP method — Cross, F2L, OLL, and PLL:

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to learn to solve a Speed Cube?

Most beginners learn the layer-by-layer method in about 20 minutes to an hour and can solve the cube unaided within a day of practice. Faster times come with a few weeks of repetition.

How many algorithms do I need?

The beginner's method needs only about five short algorithms. Advanced methods like CFOP use many more, but you don't need them to solve the cube.

Can I solve it without memorizing algorithms?

Not entirely — the last two layers need a few. For a guaranteed solution to any scramble, enter your cube into the Cube Mastery Guide solver and follow the animated steps.