Cube problems and fixes
Twisted corner, flipped edge, swapped pieces, wrong sticker count: why a 3x3 cube can be unsolvable and how to fix it. Plus tips for scanning.
Problems and fixes
- The scanner says my cube can't be solvedWhat each "can't be solved" message means, whether it's a misread sticker or a cube that was put back together wrong, and how to fix it.5 min
- One corner is twistedWhy a cube with one twisted corner can never be solved by turning, how to spot it, and how to twist the corner back by hand.4 min
- One edge is flippedA single flipped edge can't be fixed by turning. Learn how to spot it, why it happens and how to pop the edge out and put it back.4 min
- Two pieces are swappedTwo edges or two corners trading places can't be fixed by turning on a 3x3 cube. Here is how to tell a misread sticker from a wrongly reassembled cube.4 min
- Too many stickers of one colourThe scanner counted 10 of one colour and 8 of another. How to find the misread sticker, usually red read as orange or the other way round.3 min
- Lost in the middle of an algorithmMade a wrong turn halfway through an algorithm? How to undo your way back, when to restart a step, and when to let the scanner finish the solve.4 min
- Scanning tipsGet a clean webcam scan of your 3x3 cube first time. Light, glare, how to hold the cube, and telling red from orange.3 min