How to use the Rubik's cube simulator
This Rubik's cube simulator is a virtual cube you turn in your browser. Pick a size, press Scramble, and solve it with the move buttons or the keyboard. Drag the cube to look at it from any side; dragging turns your view, not a layer. The move counter counts every turn (whole-cube turns x, y and z are free), and the timer starts with your first turn after a scramble and stops by itself when the cube is solved. Undo takes back your last move, and Reset returns a solved cube.
Layers on bigger cubes. On the 3x3, 4x4 and 5x5 the layer switch above the buttons chooses what a button turns: the outer layer (R), the two outer layers together (Rw) or only the second layer (2R). On the 3x3 the second layer is the middle one.
Keyboard
Keys work when no text field has focus. Each pair turns a face clockwise and counter-clockwise; hold Shift for two layers.
| Key | Move |
|---|---|
| I / K | R / R' |
| D / E | L / L' |
| J / F | U / U' |
| S / L | D / D' |
| H / G | F / F' |
| W / O | B / B' |
| T / N | x / x' |
| ; / A | y / y' |
| P / Q | z / z' |
| Shift + key | two layers (Rw, Uw...) on 3x3 to 5x5 |
| Backspace | undo |
Solve it for me
When you are stuck, Solve it for me computes a solution in your browser and plays it on the cube. The 3x3 uses the two-phase method of our 3x3 solver (usually 20 moves or fewer, never more than 22), the 2x2 the shortest solution from our 2x2 solver (11 moves or fewer), the 4x4 the reduction solver of our 4x4 solver. Every solution is replayed on a separate cube model before it plays. There is no 5x5 solver here, so on the 5x5 the button says what it does instead: it plays your scramble and moves backwards.
Your cube, size and move count are kept in this browser, so you can close the page and continue later, and Copy link to this puzzle sends the same position to someone else. To learn a method step by step, see how to solve a 3x3, a 2x2, a 4x4 or a 5x5.
For something to make on the virtual cube, try the Rubik's cube patterns: each one comes with its moves, so you can turn it here and watch the pattern appear.
Solver tested . Found a problem? Tell us.
Questions
Does the online Rubik's cube work on a phone?
Yes. Use the move buttons and drag the cube with one finger to look around it. The buttons are large enough to tap, and the cube resizes to the screen.
Can I turn a layer by dragging it?
No. Dragging turns your view of the whole cube. Layers turn with the buttons or the keyboard, which keeps every move exact.
Is my progress saved?
Yes, in this browser only: the cube, its size and the move count are kept when you close the page. Nothing is sent to a server.
How does the timer work?
Press Scramble, then the timer starts with your first turn and stops when every face is one color. Whole-cube turns do not start it. Solve it for me stops the timer, and the result says the solver finished.
Why is there no Solve it for me on the 5x5?
This site has no 5x5 solver yet. On the 5x5 the button plays your scramble and your moves backwards, which always returns a solved cube, and it says so.