There are many ways to solve the Rubik’s Cube, some more popular than others. On this page, you’ll learn about the method that most beginners start with, as well as some of the advanced methods. Most methods are layer-by-layer, meaning that one layer is solved at a time. The first layer most people start solving is white, which is the colour I will be using to explain the methods, but all colours work as a starting layer.
The beginner's method is the method that most people learn when first starting out with the Rubik’s Cube. It’s a layer-by-layer method. First, the white cross is solved, then the rest of the first layer. After that, the second layer is solved. The next step is to do a bunch of algorithms (a precalculated set of moves) that solve the last layer. The beginner’s method is pretty easy to learn, but it involves a bunch of unnecessary steps, which is why most of the top cubers don't use it. Instead, they use a simplified version of this method, called CFOP.
CFOP, first published by Jessica Fridrich in the 1990s, is the method most top cubers use today. It has a few important modifications from the beginner’s method. First of all, the corners and edges of the first two layers are solved at the same time. Secondly, only two algorithms are used to solve the top layer, as opposed to up to four for the beginner’s method. All these modifications make CFOP the most popular speedcubing method used today
The Roux method, invented by Gilles Roux, isn't as common as CFOP, but it’s just as good. It averages fewer moves than CFOP and is used by some of the world’s most famous cubers, like Sean Patrick Villanueva, who achieved second place at the 2019 Rubik's Cube World Championships. It isn’t a layer-by-layer method, and you start by making two 2x3 blocks opposite to one another. Then, the top layer corners are solved, followed by the top layer edges being oriented and the right and left ones being solved. Lastly, the middle edges are solved with a simple algorithm. This method features a lot of middle layer turns, so it’s especially prevalent in one-handed solving, where competitors can position the cube against the table, making the middle layer turns quite fast.