How to Solve a 2x2 Rubik's Cube
Learn to solve the 2x2 Rubik's Cube (Pocket Cube) with this easy beginner tutorial. Three simple steps using the Ortega method foundations.
The 2x2 cube is the perfect starting point for beginners. With no edges or center pieces to worry about, you can focus entirely on understanding how corners move. This guide teaches you a straightforward 3-step approach: solve the first layer, orient the last layer, then permute it. Once you are comfortable here, the 3x3 will feel much less intimidating.
Before you start
Make sure you are familiar with Cube Notation. Knowing what R, U', or F2 means is essential!
Step 1: Solve the First Layer
Pick a color to start with (white is traditional). Your goal is to build a complete face with all four corners solved so that the side colors also match each other. Because the 2x2 has no fixed centers, you are really solving an entire layer, not just a face.
Hold the cube with the color you are solving on the bottom. Find a corner that belongs on the bottom layer. If it is in the top layer, position it directly above its target spot and repeat R U R' U' until it drops into place. If the corner is in the bottom layer but twisted or in the wrong slot, use R U R' to lift it to the top, then re-insert it.
Step 2: Orient the Last Layer (OLL)
With the first layer solved, flip the cube so the unsolved face is on top. Now you need to orient all four top corners so the top color faces upward. You may see zero, one, or two top-color stickers already facing up.
Use the algorithm R U R' U R U2 R' (known as the Sune) to orient the last layer. Hold the cube so that any corner with the top color facing you is at the front-right. Repeat the algorithm until all four top stickers show the same color. In the worst case you will need to apply it up to three times.
Step 3: Permute the Last Layer (PLL)
All top-face stickers are now the correct color, but the corners may need to be swapped so the side colors line up. Look at the sides of the top layer. If one side already has both its corners matching, you are one algorithm away from a complete solve.
Hold the cube with the matching side at the back. Perform R U' L' U R' U' L U to cycle the remaining three corners. If no side matches, execute the algorithm once from any angle, then find the matching side and repeat. Once all four sides are uniform, the cube is solved.
Congratulations!
You have solved the 2x2 Rubik's Cube! The skills you have learned here -- corner insertion, OLL, and PLL -- are the same concepts used on larger cubes. Ready for the next challenge? Try the 3x3 tutorial.
Learn the 3x3 Next