A solver checks whether the colors describe a cube that can exist after normal turns. An error is a reason to check the entry first. A face copied sideways can produce the same warning as a physically twisted piece.
1. Check the six color counts
For a 3×3, every color appears nine times, including its center. For a 2×2, every color appears four times. An extra red usually means another color is missing. Select Erase for the misplaced entry, then paint its actual color.
“Fill last color” only appears usable when one color remains and the existing piece checks allow it. It saves clicks, but you still need to compare the result with your cube.
Compare four kinds of input error
A red sticker was entered where this example needs green. The counts become ten red and eight green. Compare that square with the real cube, then repaint the entry.
These are illustrations of entry errors. Change the website colors only when your real cube shows something different.
2. Recheck the back, top and bottom
Match the face and the edge above it to this picture.
Remember this starting position.
White center on top. Green center in front. Red center on the right.
If you copied a face sideways, select it and use Rotate colors 90°. That rotates the website’s grid; it does not tell you to twist a layer on your real cube. A mirrored entry needs individual corrections.
3. Look at the whole piece, not one sticker
An edge has two stickers; a corner has three. On the standard color scheme, one piece cannot contain both white and yellow, green and blue, or red and orange. Two corners also cannot have the same set of three colors.
Use the highlighted stickers to find the piece to check. Correct all sides that differ from the real cube. If the counts are right but the solver still reports a corner or edge problem, check face direction again.
| Message | What to check |
|---|---|
| Corner twisted | Check the three stickers meeting at each suspect corner. A single corner twist cannot be undone with normal face turns. |
| Edge flipped | On a 3×3, check the two stickers on an edge. A single flipped edge cannot be fixed with ordinary turns. |
| Pieces swapped | Recheck complete faces and the color scheme. A 3×3 with only two edges or only two corners swapped cannot come from normal turns. A 2×2 has different permutation rules. |
If the website exactly matches the real cube and the warning remains, a piece may have been physically twisted or reassembled. Repeated formulas will not solve an impossible state. Check the cube’s assembly guidance before making physical changes.
This warning describes the entered colors. It does not prove that a physical piece is broken or identify which piece to twist.
How to check a twisted corner
A corner has three stickers. On a 2×2 or 3×3, twisting just one corner is not possible with normal face turns.
Compare a prepared 3D example
- Compare all three stickers at each corner with your real cube, including the hidden sides. A misread color can cause this warning.
- Recheck the direction of the back, top and bottom faces. Rotate an entered face if it was copied sideways; keep correct colors and photos.
- If every entered sticker matches and the warning remains, check the cube’s assembly instructions. Do not force a piece or follow a guessed twist direction.
Why is only one edge flipped?
On a 3×3, a single flipped edge is an impossible state under normal face turns. Correct color totals alone cannot rule it out.
Compare a prepared 3D example
- Check both stickers on each suspect edge. Compare the complete cube, not just one solid face.
- Confirm that the back and bottom were entered from the outside, without mirroring or turning a face sideways.
- If the entry exactly matches the real cube, check its assembly guidance. A valid 4×4 reduction parity is a different case; this 3×3 warning does not diagnose a 4×4.
Why are two pieces swapped?
A 3×3 with only two edges swapped, or only two corners swapped, cannot be reached by normal face turns. Nine stickers of every color can still describe this state.
Compare a prepared 3D example
- Compare all six entered faces and check the color scheme before changing your cube.
- Check face direction and all stickers of the two pieces. Correct an input mismatch and solve again.
- If the entry matches exactly, inspect the assembly instructions. A 2×2 has different permutation rules, and valid 4×4 parity is handled by the separate 4×4 solver.
Made a wrong turn while following the solution?
- Pause playback. If you know the last wrong turn, reverse that turn on your real cube.
- If your cube no longer matches the preview, open “My cube doesn’t match” below the playback controls, then choose “Turned something wrong? Edit this step”.
- Copy the colors you actually have now. The previous preview becomes an editable starting point.
- Press Solve my cube for a fresh sequence.
“Replay last turn” only repeats the animation. Do not perform the turn a second time. “Previous” actually moves the preview backward, so you must undo that move on the real cube too.
Photo suggestions look wrong?
After all six photos, uncertain shades or impossible color counts can open a color helper. If it asks for orange, tap a real orange sticker in the photo and choose “Use this color”. The sample is reused across the cube’s photos; there is no switch to turn on before teaching a color.
If red and orange are still mixed, choose “Check color counts” or “Calibrate colors” to provide a clearer sample. First check that the four corners frame only one face. Avoid glare and logos, and compare the updated suggestions with your cube. You can correct remaining mistakes directly in 3D.
Photo input is optional. You can correct a face manually and keep the faces you have already entered. See the photo walkthrough.