How to solve a 2x2 Rubik's Cube: a beginner guide
The 2x2 cube, also called the Pocket Cube, has only corner pieces, which makes it the easiest Rubik's-style puzzle to start with. This guide explains how it differs from the 3x3 and gives three steps that solve it one layer at a time.
Why the 2x2 is easier
A 2x2 has 3,674,160 possible positions, a tiny number next to the 43 quintillion of a 3x3. It has eight corner pieces and nothing else: no edges and no fixed centers. Because there are no centers, there is no center color to compare with, so you choose one corner as your reference and build around it.
Every position can be solved in 11 moves or fewer when a half turn counts as one move, and in 14 if you count quarter turns. That makes it a good puzzle to learn on, because a beginner method is short and the mistakes are easy to spot.
Notation you need
The 2x2 uses the same letters as the 3x3: U for the up face, D for down, L for left, R for right, F for front and B for back. A letter alone is a clockwise quarter turn, an apostrophe such as R' is counterclockwise, and 2 is a half turn. Because the opposite faces of a 2x2 move the same pieces, you can solve with only three faces, R, U and F, if you prefer.
Read the cube notation guide if any of this is new. It takes a few minutes and makes every other guide easier to follow.
The three steps in this app
When you choose Teach me on a 2x2, the app solves the cube one layer at a time and names each step. The step names are: Bottom layer: place the corners, Top layer: put the corners in place and Top layer: twist the corners. They are explained below in the order you do them.
The app builds the first layer on the bottom face and finishes on the top face, so you never have to flip the cube over. Keep the same side facing you and follow the moves in order.
Using the solver to learn
Paint your cube's colors into the 2x2 solver or scan it, tick Teach me and press Solve. Play the moves one at a time, read the short explanation of each step, and repeat the step on your own cube. Compared with the normal solver, the Teach me solution is longer, but every step has a reason you can learn.
Try the same scramble again without Teach me afterward if you are curious. The normal solution is the shortest route a computer found and is not a method to memorize.
What to practice next
Once the 2x2 feels comfortable, the 3x3 is the natural next puzzle. The first layer and the last-layer ideas carry over directly, and you only need to add the edge pieces. Open the 3x3 guide when you are ready.
Step by step
- Choose a color and build the bottom layer Pick one color for the bottom. Bring each of the four corners that have this color down into the bottom layer, using R U R' U' repeated until the corner drops into its slot.
- Check the side colors Each bottom corner must also match its neighbours on the sides, so the bottom layer is one solid color with a matching ring of stickers around it.
- Put the top corners in place Turn the top layer and find a corner that already sits between its own three colors. Use a sequence that cycles three top corners around it. Repeat until all four are in the right places, even if they are twisted.
- Fix the odd case if it appears A 2x2 can end up with two neighbouring top corners swapped, which a 3x3 cannot have. A longer sequence that swaps two neighbouring corners fixes it.
- Twist the top corners Hold a twisted corner at the front right and repeat R' D' R D until it shows the top color. Then turn the top layer to bring the next corner forward and repeat.
- Expect the bottom to look scrambled The lower layer looks mixed up while you twist each corner and comes back together at the end. Keep going even when it looks wrong.