How to Use the Cube Timer
- Pick your puzzle (3x3, 2x2 or Pyraminx) and scramble it with the moves at the top. Hold a cube with white on top and green in front, or a Pyraminx with yellow on the bottom and green in front. The picture shows what the scrambled puzzle should look like.
- Inspect it if you like. Turn on 15-second inspection to practice like a competition. The countdown starts when you press and release once.
- Hold the space bar (or touch and hold the timer on a phone) until the time turns green, then release to start.
- Stop the timer by pressing any key or tapping the screen as soon as the cube is solved.
Each time is saved with its scramble. Mark a solve as +2 or DNF in the list if you forgot a penalty, or delete it. A new scramble appears as soon as you stop.
What Do ao5 and ao12 Mean?
ao5 is your average of 5: the last five solves with the fastest and slowest left out, then averaged. That's the same format the World Cube Association uses to rank most events. ao12 does the same with 12 solves, and ao100 leaves out the best and worst five. Because one lucky or unlucky solve is dropped, averages tell you your real speed much better than a single time.
For example, times of 21.40, 18.95, 24.10, 20.33 and 19.72 seconds give an ao5 of 20.48, the mean of 21.40, 20.33 and 19.72. A DNF counts as the slowest time. One DNF in an ao5 is dropped like any other worst time, but two make the whole average a DNF.
About the Scrambles
Every scramble is random-state: the timer picks a completely random position, every possible one equally likely, then works out a short sequence of moves that produces it. Official WCA scrambles are random-state too, which avoids the easy patterns that random move sequences tend to leave. Our scrambles aren't the WCA's own program (TNoodle), so lengths and a few details differ.
- 3x3: the position is solved with a two-phase solver, then reversed, giving scrambles of about 20 moves. Click Solve this scramble to open it in the Rubik's Cube solver.
- 2x2: the shortest possible scramble for the position, using R, U and F turns (at most 11 moves). Positions that can be solved in under 4 moves are skipped.
- Pyraminx: the shortest possible scramble for the position (at most 11 moves), followed by the tip turns (lowercase letters). Positions that can be solved in under 6 moves, not counting tips, are skipped.
Get Faster: What to Practice at Your Speed
| Your average | Focus on |
|---|---|
| Over 1 minute | A faster last layer with 2-look OLL and 2-look PLL |
| 30–60 seconds | Pairing corners and edges together with F2L |
| Under 30 seconds | Full PLL, then full OLL. See all Rubik's Cube algorithms. |
FAQ
Does it save my times?
Yes, in this browser on this device. Nothing is sent to us. Use Export CSV to keep a copy or move your times somewhere else.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Once the page has loaded, scrambles and timing run entirely on your device.
Which puzzles does it scramble?
The 3x3, the 2x2 and the Pyraminx, each with its own list of times and averages. You can still time any other puzzle. Just ignore the scramble.