CubeXpertHow to Solve a 2×2 Rubik’s Cube
To solve a 2×2 Rubik’s Cube (Pocket Cube), solve one full layer, then use three algorithms to finish the other: Sune to turn every top corner yellow-side up, a T‑perm or Y‑perm to put the corners in place, and a final turn of the top. The method below works from any scramble; we checked the last‑layer rules against all 648 possible last‑layer positions.
A 2×2 is just the eight corners of a 3×3, so everything you learn here carries straight over to the big cube. If R U R' U' looks like gibberish, read the notation guide first — it’s short.
Why the 2×2 feels harder than it looks
The 2×2 has no centers. On a 3×3 the centers tell you which color goes where; on a 2×2 you decide. Pick white for the first layer and use the pieces themselves as your guide: once one white corner is placed, its side colors define the side colors for the rest of that layer.
You also don’t need to know the color scheme by heart, but it helps: on a standard cube white is opposite yellow, blue opposite green, and red opposite orange.
Step 1: Solve the white layer
Make a white face whose side colors match too — not just four white stickers. Each side of the layer should show one color across both corners.
Start with any white corner and hold it in the bottom layer. Find a corner in the top layer that shares a side color with it, and turn the top until that corner sits directly above its correct spot next to the first one. Hold the cube so the target spot is at the front‑right‑bottom and repeat:
R U R' U'
until the corner drops in with white on the bottom. That takes one, three or five repetitions. Repeat for the remaining corners. If a white corner is in the bottom layer but in the wrong spot or twisted, hold it at the front‑right and do R U R' U' once to lift it out.
Step 2: Turn the top corners yellow-side up
Flip the cube so the white layer is on the bottom. Now make the top face all yellow, ignoring the side colors for now, with Sune:
R U R' U R U2 R'
Count how many corners already have yellow facing up, then hold the cube like this before each Sune:
| Yellow facing up | How to hold the cube |
|---|---|
| 0 corners | Turn the top until the front‑left corner has its yellow facing left |
| 1 corner | Turn the top until that corner is at the front‑left |
| 2 corners | Turn the top until the front‑left corner has its yellow facing you (front) |
| 4 corners | Done — go to step 3 |
Do Sune, count again and repeat. You never need more than three Sunes.
Step 3: Put the top corners in place
Look at the sides of the top layer. Two corners on the same side with matching colors are called headlights.
- Headlights on one side: turn the top so the headlights are on the left, then do the T‑perm:
R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' F'
- No headlights anywhere: two diagonal corners need to swap. Do the Y‑perm from any side:
F R U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R F'
- Headlights on all four sides: the corners are already in order.
Step 4: Line up the last layer
Turn the top layer until its side colors match the layer below. Your 2×2 is solved.
Practice tips
- Learn Sune by feel. It’s the most useful algorithm in cubing — it reappears in 3×3 OLL. Do it slowly ten times in a row until your hands don’t need the notation.
- Say the T‑perm in chunks:
R U R' U'·R' F R2 U' R'·U' R U R' F'. Three chunks are easier to memorize than fourteen moves. - Check your first layer’s sides. Most failed solves come from a white face whose side colors don’t match.
- Time yourself. With this method, under a minute is a realistic first goal; faster 2×2 methods such as Ortega and CLL solve the last layer in fewer steps once you’re comfortable.
From 2×2 to 3×3
Steps 1–3 here are the same ideas as the corner steps of the 3×3 beginner method. The 3×3 adds edges and centers, but if you can solve a 2×2 you already know how corners move — and Sune and the T‑perm are both part of the 2-look OLL and 2-look PLL sets speedcubers use.