CubeSnap

Guide

Rubik’s Cube notation

Cube solutions are written as short codes such as R U R' U'. Each letter names a face of the cube and a mark after it says which way to turn it. Here is what every move means, with a picture of each one.

Solve your cube

The six letters

Moves are named after where a face is, not after its color, so keep the cube in the same position while you follow a solution. CubeSnap’s solutions assume white on top and green in front, which puts red on the right.

U
Up (top)
D
Down (bottom)
F
Front (toward you)
B
Back (away from you)
L
Left
R
Right

Which way to turn

  • A letter on its own (R) is a quarter turn clockwise, as you look straight at that face.
  • An apostrophe (R', said “R prime”) is a quarter turn counter-clockwise.
  • A 2 (R2) is a half turn. The direction does not matter: both ways end up the same.

“As you look at that face” matters most for the faces you cannot see. L turns the left face clockwise as seen from the left, so the front column next to it moves down. D is clockwise as seen from below, so the front row moves to the right, and B moves the top row toward the left.

All 18 moves

Each picture shows the cube from its front-right corner, top up. The highlighted layer is the one that turns, and the arrow shows which way its stickers travel.

R Right face

Rclockwise
R'counter-clockwise
R2half turn (180°)

L Left face

Lclockwise
L'counter-clockwise
L2half turn (180°)

U Up face (top)

Uclockwise
U'counter-clockwise
U2half turn (180°)

D Down face (bottom)

Dclockwise
D'counter-clockwise
D2half turn (180°)

F Front face (toward you)

Fclockwise
F'counter-clockwise
F2half turn (180°)

B Back face (away from you)

Bclockwise
B'counter-clockwise
B2half turn (180°)

Reading an algorithm

An algorithm is a list of moves done one after another, left to right. This is one of the most used, often called the “sexy move”:

  1. R
  2. U
  3. R'
  4. U'

Turn the right face up, the top face to the left, the right face back down, then the top face back to the right. Repeat it six times in a row and the cube is back where it started.

Watch it in 3D: CubeSnap opens with these four moves done and shows how to undo them.

Other notation you may see

Speedcubing guides use a few more symbols. CubeSnap’s solutions never need them: they only turn the six outer faces.

  • Wide turns: r or Rw turns the right face together with the middle layer next to it.
  • Slice turns: M, E and S turn only a middle layer (M the same way as L, E as D, S as F).
  • Cube rotations: x, y and z turn the whole cube in your hands, the same way as R, U and F.

Questions

What does the apostrophe in R’ mean?

It means “prime”: turn the face a quarter turn counter-clockwise, as you look straight at it. R’ undoes R.

What does a 2 after a letter mean, as in U2?

Turn that face twice, a half turn of 180 degrees. It does not matter which way you turn it.

Is R2’ different from R2?

No. A half turn ends in the same place in either direction, so R2’ and R2 are the same move. Some guides write R2’ to suggest the direction that is easier for your fingers.

Can I type a scramble into CubeSnap instead of the colors?

Yes. On the Enter Colors screen, tap Scramble and type the moves (for example from a timer app). CubeSnap applies them to a solved cube and finds a solution.

Practice with your own cube

The quickest way to learn notation is to use it. Scan or enter your cube in CubeSnap and step through the solution one move at a time: every move shows its letter, a plain-English hint and a picture like the ones above.

Open CubeSnap