Troubleshooting Bluetooth smart cubes and timers

Supported devices

See Supported devices for every smart cube and timer CubeDesk works with. If you pick a cube that isn't supported, CubeDesk shows "This smart cube isn't supported yet."

Use a browser that supports Web Bluetooth

Smart cubes only work in browsers that support Web Bluetooth. Use Chrome, Edge, or Opera on Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, or Android. On iPhone and iPad, use the Bluefy browser. Safari and Firefox don't support Web Bluetooth.

If you see "Bluetooth is not available!", either your browser doesn't support Web Bluetooth or Bluetooth is turned off on your device. Turn Bluetooth on in your system settings, then reload the page.

Turn on smart cube mode

1. Go to Settings → Timer, or open the timer input dropdown in the timer header.
2. Set Timer input type to Smart Cube, or to Smart Timer if you're using a Bluetooth timer.
3. Switch the event type to 3x3 or 2x2. Smart Cube mode only works with those two. When a cube connects, CubeDesk switches to its event type for you.
4. Click Connect under the 3D cube and choose your cube from the browser's device list.

2x2 smart cubes track their state relative to one fixed corner, so scramble and solve them holding white on top and green in front. A turn of the left face shows up as a turn of the right face, which is expected.

If you'd rather start and stop the timer with the space bar and only use the cube to record turns, turn on Use space bar with smart cubes in timer settings.

My cube doesn't show up in the device list

• Turn any face to wake the cube up. Most smart cubes go to sleep after a few minutes.
• Charge the cube. A low battery often stops it from advertising over Bluetooth.
• Disconnect the cube from any other app or device, such as the manufacturer's app on your phone. A smart cube can only connect to one device at a time.
• Keep the cube close to your computer or phone.
• On Android, make sure your browser has permission to find nearby devices. Older versions of Android also need Location turned on to scan for Bluetooth devices.

GAN and MoYu cubes ask for a MAC address

GAN and MoYu cubes encrypt their data, and CubeDesk needs the cube's MAC address to read it. CubeDesk remembers the address after the first time a cube connects. For a new cube, it tries to read the address from the cube automatically, but most browsers block this by default. When that happens, you'll see "Turn on automatic cube detection". You only need to do this once:

1. Copy chrome://flags/#enable-web-bluetooth-new-permissions-backend and paste it into a new tab. In Edge, use edge:// instead of chrome://. In Opera, use opera://.
2. Set Use the new permissions backend for Web Bluetooth to Enabled.
3. Click Relaunch, then connect your cube again.

With this setting on, CubeDesk also reconnects your cube automatically after you reload the page. WeiLong V10 AI and V11 AI cubes can often connect without it, because CubeDesk can usually work out their address from the cube's name.

Entering the MAC address manually

If you can't change browser flags, click Enter the MAC address manually instead and type the address. It looks like AB:CD:EF:12:34:56. On Windows and Linux, open chrome://bluetooth-internals and find your cube under Devices to see its address. CubeDesk remembers the address after your cube connects, so you only need to enter it once.

"Couldn't find your cube"

The browser setting is on, but CubeDesk didn't hear from your cube in time. Turn any face to wake it up, keep it close to your device, and click Try again.

"Couldn't read your cube's state"

This usually means the MAC address is wrong. If you typed it in, double-check every character and connect again.

The 3D cube doesn't match my real cube

Smart cubes track their state by counting turns, so they can drift out of sync, for example if you turned the cube while it was disconnected or popped a piece. Solve your real cube, then open the … menu next to Connect and choose Mark as solved. On GAN cubes, this also resets the state stored on the cube itself. MoYu cubes can't be reset this way, so they may report the old state again the next time they connect.

GoCube, Rubik's Connected, and Giiker cubes can't report their state, so CubeDesk asks you to confirm the cube is solved each time it connects. Make sure it really is solved before you click My cube is solved.

The 3D cube is rotated the wrong way

GAN and MoYu cubes with a gyroscope rotate the 3D cube as you move your real cube. If it's pointing the wrong way, hold your cube the way you normally start a solve, then choose Reset orientation from the … menu. CubeDesk treats the way you're holding the cube at that moment as the default view. This option only appears for cubes with a gyroscope.

The timer won't start

Check the status message under the timer:

• Solve smart cube to start or Solve cube to show scramble: CubeDesk thinks your cube isn't solved. Solve it, or use Mark as solved if it already is.
• Scramble smart cube to start: apply the scramble. Correct moves turn green. If you make a wrong move, the scramble updates to show how to undo it.
• Solve cube to proceed: you made too many wrong moves while scrambling. Solve the cube to get a fresh scramble.
• Ready to start: the scramble is done, and the timer starts on your first turn. The time between finishing the scramble and that turn counts as inspection.

My cube doesn't reconnect after reloading

CubeDesk can reconnect the last cube you used without opening the device list. This needs the same browser setting described in GAN and MoYu cubes ask for a MAC address. When the page loads, you'll see "Turn your cube to reconnect". Turn any face to wake the cube up and it will connect.

Choosing Disconnect from the menu makes CubeDesk forget the cube, so it won't reconnect on its own until you click Connect again. Leaving the timer page also disconnects the cube.

My cube keeps disconnecting

• Check the battery bar next to the Bluetooth icon and charge the cube if it's low.
• Keep the cube close to your device. Walls, USB 3 hubs, and other wireless devices can weaken the signal.
• Close other tabs or apps that might be connected to the cube.

Smart timers

Set Timer input type to Smart Timer, turn the timer on, then click Connect under the timer picture and choose your timer from the list. CubeDesk works out which brand it is on its own. Times come straight from the timer, so what you see on its display is what gets saved.

The pads in the timer picture light up while your hands are on the timer, and turn green once lifting them will start it. If you have inspection turned on, pressing reset on the GAN Smart Timer starts inspection. Pressing reset during a solve cancels it without saving.

If the timer turns off or drops out, CubeDesk reconnects when it's back, and you'll see "Turn on your timer to reconnect" while it waits. Waiting for the timer and reconnecting after a reload need the browser setting described in GAN and MoYu cubes ask for a MAC address. Without it, CubeDesk tries once more a few seconds after the timer drops out.