Solving a standard Rubik's Cube (3x3x3) can be a daunting task, but solving a Rubik's Revenge cube (4x4x4) can be even more difficult. This article will show you where to begin with solving them and what to do if you get stuck along the way.

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Getting Started

  1. 1
    Familiarize yourself with the Rubik's Cube. Recognize where each of the colors lie on the completed cube.[1]
    • Notice (going clockwise) the Red, White, and Blue faces of the cube are on one side and the Green, Orange, and Yellow faces are on another.
      • This is the standard setup for newer, standard cubes. If your cube is older or is from another manufacturer than Rubik' Cube® itself, the setup might be different and you'll have to take a look at a solved version of your Rubik's Cube 6n the -an4fact4rer's website.
    • There are four similar center pieces on each face of the cube, four unique corner pieces, and 8 pairs of edge pieces (every two between corners are identical).
  2. 2
    Learn some notation so certain parts of this article are clear. Each face of the cube has a different letter to show which way you need to face it.[2]
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  3. 3
    Scramble your Rubik's Cube. Assuming your Rubik's Cube is brand new, you will need to take it out of the box and scramble it. There is not really a wrong way to do this, but you should spend about 60 seconds to do so.[3]
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Solving the Cube

  1. 1
    Start with the 2x2 centers on each face of the cube. We are going to begin with one side of the cube in this step.[4]
  2. 2
    Solve the opposite side of the cube. For the opposite side of the cube, the solution is a bit trickier and requires more direction.
  3. 3
    Complete each of the edge pairings. There are exactly two of each edge piece and they will fit right next to each other between two corners.[6]
  4. 4
    Solve for the “edge parity” of the last two pairs that need to be put together on the cube. Because the original edge pairing algorithm will not work, you must use a new algorithm for this step.[7]
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Using 3x3x3 Strategy

  1. 1
    Use a 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube strategy to solve. If you are at all familiar with a standard 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube, you may notice that is exactly what the cube resembles at this point.[8]
    • The 4 center pieces on each face represent a single center piece.
    • Each pair of 2 adjacent edge pieces represent a single edge piece.
    • The corners are all the same as the 3x3x3 cube.
  2. 2
    Solve for a White "cross" section to start.[9]
  3. 3
    Solve entire center layer of the cube. You should notice at this point you will have four “T-shaped” patterns surrounding the White face.[10]
  4. 4
    Turn the cube around so the white face is facing away from you. Pick a color around the yellow center that is not yellow, and turn the cube so that color is on the side of the cube with the center that it matches. This will make a larger “T-shape”.[11]
  5. 5
    Solve for a Yellow cross-shape. At this point when you turn your cube to the Yellow face you will see one of three possible patterns: an “L-shape”, a “Bar” shape (yellow blocks in a straight line), or just the yellow center.[12]
    • For the L-shape, use this algorithm: F U R U' R' F'
    • For the Bar shape, use this algorithm: F R U R' U' F'
    • If you have just the yellow center, then choose either of the processes and do it twice.
  6. 6
    Solve for the Yellow corners. You will now have a Yellow cross on the face of the cube and you may have one or more Yellow corners as well. This step is to solve for the rest.
    • Find one yellow corner not on the yellow face cube and turn it toward you. Follow this algorithm: R U R' U R U2 R'. Repeat this until the Yellow face is complete.
  7. 7
    Solve for the last layer. If you have any two corners on the same side matching, turn them to their matching side, and turn that face of the cube away from you for this next part. If you had no matching corners, repeat this step twice.[13]
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    How do you solve it when the blue and the greens are opposite L shape, like all the centers are solve except green and blue, then what do you do?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    If you mean that the second layer is solved except for one piece that is opposite what it should, you would simply follow the algorithm to put another random piece into that location and do it again so that the piece is turned the right way.
  • Question
    What is the fastest way to solve one of these?
    Lily
    Lily
    Community Answer
    Practice a lot! If you haven't already, learn the 3 by 3. It can take lots of time to learn, especially with great speed, but it is possible with daily repetition.
  • Question
    What is the OLL parity?
    Jason Nguyen
    Jason Nguyen
    Community Answer
    The OLL Parity algorithm is Rw U2 x Rw U2 Rw U2 Rw' U2 Lw U2 Rw' U2 Rw U2 Rw' U2 Rw'.
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About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 17 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 173,196 times.
168 votes - 37%
Co-authors: 17
Updated: February 28, 2023
Views: 173,196
Categories: Rubik's Cube
Article SummaryX

If you’re bored with your 3x3x3 cube, a 4x4x4 Rubik’s cube will definitely make things more challenging! To solve it, start by getting the 2x2 center blocks for white, red, and blue. Then, solve the opposite side of the cube. You’ll also want to work on finding L-shapes of the same color. You may have to move one or more of the solved centers to get these. Once you have these done, you can solve the edge pairs. To learn how to use 3x3x3 strategy to solve the 4x4x4, read on!

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