Troubleshooting & FAQ

Most problems come from one of three things: a small slip while doing an algorithm, holding the cube the wrong way round before starting one, or - rarely - a cube that was taken apart and put back together wrong. If you're not sure where you went wrong, enter your colors into the solver: it checks whether the cube can be solved at all and shows you the moves from wherever you are.

"My cube seems impossible to solve"

A normal 3x3 can't become unsolvable just by turning it. It only happens if the cube was physically changed: a corner twisted in place, an edge that popped out and went back flipped, pieces reassembled in the wrong spots, or stickers peeled off and moved. You'll usually notice one of these at the very end:

• One corner twisted and everything else solved.
• One edge flipped and everything else solved.
• Only two pieces swapped - just two corners, or just two edges, and nothing else wrong (after turning the top to line things up).

No algorithm fixes these. Twist the corner back with your fingers, or pop the pieces out (a butter knife or spoon under a middle-layer edge helps) and rebuild the cube solved. It's also worth knowing what you can't see: while making the top cross you'll only ever see a dot, an L, a line, or a full cross. If you ever have exactly one or three top edges yellow, an edge has been flipped.

First two layers

My cross doesn't line up with the side centers

Turn the cross face until at least two edges match their side centers. For each edge that doesn't match, turn its face twice (for example F2) to bring it to the top, turn the top until it sits above the center it matches, then turn that face twice to bring it back down.

A first-layer corner is in its slot but twisted

Hold the cube with that corner at the front-right of the bottom layer and repeat R U R' U' until its white sticker faces down. It always takes two or four repetitions, and the rest of the first layer comes back solved.

A middle-layer edge is in its slot but flipped (or in the wrong slot)

Take it out by inserting any top-layer edge into that slot with the normal middle-layer algorithm (U R U' R' U' F' U F to the right, or U' L' U L U F U' F' to the left). The stuck edge pops up to the top layer, where you can insert it properly.

An algorithm wrecked my solved layers

Two common causes: the cube was upside down (the solved layers must be on the bottom for every last-layer algorithm), or a move was done the wrong way - R turns the right face away from you, and a prime (R') is the opposite. If you're unsure, check the notation guide, or try the algorithm on the simulator first.

Last layer

I keep going around in circles making the top cross

How you hold the cube before F R U R' U' F' matters. An L shape must point to the back and left, and a line must be horizontal (left to right). Held any other way, the algorithm won't bring you closer to the cross.

The Sune never makes the whole top yellow

Before each Sune, count the corners that are yellow on top. With one, put it at the front-left. With none, turn the top until the front-left corner's yellow sticker faces left. With two, turn it until that yellow sticker faces you. Then do the Sune and count again. See step 4 of the beginner method for the full walkthrough.

There are no headlights, or the corners won't settle

If no side has matching top corners ("headlights"), do the A-Perm, R' F R' B2 R F' R' B2 R2, once from any side - headlights will appear. Then hold the headlights at the back and do it again. See step 5 of the beginner method.

Only the edges are left, but no side is fully solved

Do the U-Perm, R U' R U R U R U' R' U' R2, once from any side. A fully solved side will appear - hold it at the back and do the U-Perm again, once or twice. Faster solvers use the H-Perm and Z-Perm for these cases.

4x4 parity and the 2x2

On a 4x4, the last layer can end up with a single flipped edge (OLL parity) or two swapped edges (PLL parity). Unlike on a 3x3, these are completely normal - your cube isn't broken. They're fixed with dedicated parity algorithms rather than by reassembling the cube.

A 2x2 has no centers or edges, so you can't tell a face's color from a center piece. Pick the color of one corner and build the first layer around it; the solver handles the 2x2 too.

Stiff, locking or popping cube

If faces catch or lock up, the layers usually aren't lined up - make each turn a full, clean quarter turn. A cube that's stiff all the time may need lubricant, and one that pops pieces out may need its tension tightened (many speedcubes have adjustable screws or springs). Our speedcubing tips and guide to choosing a speedcube cover this in more detail.

Solver and timer

The solver says my colors are invalid

Hold your cube the way the solver shows it - yellow center on top, green center facing you - and paint each side while looking straight at it. Most errors come from painting a side while the cube is turned a different way. The solver also tells you when the colors describe a cube that can't be solved (see above).

My timer history disappeared

Times are saved in your browser on this device only. They're lost if you clear your browsing data or use a private window, and they don't sync between devices or browsers.

The timer won't start on my phone

Touch and hold the timer itself (not the buttons above it) until the numbers turn green, then lift your finger. Tap anywhere to stop.