# Cubuki Documentation Every feature of Cubuki on desktop, mobile and the web version, what it does, and the version that added it. Free to use: timing, sessions, statistics, sync, chat and all learning content. Cubuki+ only covers a few personalization extras (see the end). **Where to get it:** the desktop app (Windows, macOS, Linux), the Android app, and the full web version at cubuki.com/web/. **Dates:** Cubuki 0.13.0 was the baseline when releases moved to this server on 2026-11-02. Anything listed as "0.13.0 and earlier" existed before that date and has no exact date. Version 0.20.0 is dated 2026-11-06. ## Version history at a glance | Version | Date | Headline | |---|---|---| | 0.13.0 and earlier | before 2026-11-02 | Core timer, sessions, stats, learning, themes, Android companion | | 0.13.1 to 0.13.4 | 2026-11-02 | Installer fixes, update popup, locked update server, new PLL algs | | 0.14.0 / 0.14.1 | 2026-11-02 | Accounts, cloud sync, friends and chat, smart updates | | 0.15.0 / 0.15.1 | 2026-11-02 | New logo, appearance profiles, GIF and emoji chat, share links, web version | | 0.16.0 / 0.16.1 | 2026-11-02 | Solution notes and replay, Linux and macOS builds, CFOP step analysis | | 0.17.0 / 0.17.1 | 2026-11-02 | Insights, recognition trainer, battle mode, live smart cube, csTimer import | | 0.18.0 to 0.18.3 | 2026-11-03 | Tour, interactive cube, fullscreen, centered timer, colour effects, sign-in polish | | 0.19.0 / 0.19.1 | 2026-11-03 | Android touch fixes, average popups, mobile sync, ZZ and Roux, two-way sync | | 0.20.0 | 2026-11-06 | Mobile puzzles, chat on mobile, online status, send to PC, premium backgrounds, share fixes | | 0.21.0 | 2026-11-06 | Mobile cube solver, OLL/PLL training, pads timer, solve details and charts, cleaner navigation, sync fix | | 0.22.0 | 2026-11-06 | Shared profile picture and name, chat notifications, self-updating desktop and Android apps | | 0.22.1 | 2026-11-06 | Settings search, background section above the mascot, theme from background, GIF backgrounds for Cubuki+ only | | 0.23.0 | 2026-11-07 | New name (Cubuki) and logo, built-in colour picker with hex codes, stronger colour effects | | 0.24.0 | 2026-11-07 | Merge sessions, profile descriptions, a smarter guided tour, Escape closes windows, chat history and many fixes found in a full review | | 0.24.1 | 2026-11-07 | GIF backgrounds and mascots are converted to smaller animated WebP, big pictures finally show, clearer messages for animated pictures | | 0.25.0 | 2026-11-08 | Add time by hand (one or many), background slideshow, Analytics for Cubuki+ | ## Timer - **Hold-to-start timer** (0.13.0 and earlier). Hold the spacebar (or hold the screen on mobile) until it turns ready, then release to start. Any key or touch stops it. The hold time is adjustable. - **WCA-style inspection** (0.13.0 and earlier). 15 second countdown with +2 after 15 and DNF after 17, exact boundaries tested. Optional spoken warnings at 8 and 12 seconds with voice, pitch and speed settings. - **Penalties.** +2 and DNF on any solve, with the original time kept so you can undo. - **Hide time while solving / fullscreen number** (0.13.0 and earlier). Show a big number only, or hide it until you stop. - **Manual entry and special events** (0.13.0 and earlier). Type times in many formats, enter Fewest Moves move counts, and score Multi-Blind as solved/attempted plus time. - **Add time by hand** (0.25.0). Type in a time any time, whatever input method you use. On desktop press **Add time** in the scramble card; on the phone use **Add time** on the Solves tab (and next to Undo last solve on the Timer tab). One time: type `12.34`, `1:23.45`, `83.2`, `1:02:03.4` or `12,34`; add `+` or `+2` for a +2 penalty (`12.34+`); type `DNF` or `DNF(12.34)` to keep the time of a DNF; plain digits count as hundredths (`1234` is 12.34, `12345` is 2:03.45). A line under the box shows how it was understood, and you can add a note and a date and time. **Add and keep going** leaves the window open for the next one. **Paste many**: one time per line (commas or semicolons also work, `#` lines are skipped); it shows how many it found and which lines it could not read, then adds them in the order you pasted. Fewest Moves and Multi-Blind use their own formats here too. The solve goes into your selected session and puzzle and updates your history, averages and personal best. Adding many times at once never fires a personal-best celebration for each one. - **Timer look** (0.16.1 to 0.17.0). Choose fonts, size, colour and glow, or import your own font. - **Colour effects** (0.18.1). Animated wave, pulse or cycle colours on the timer. Turn on Reduced motion to keep it still. - **Centered timer mode** (0.17.0, redesigned 0.18.0). A calm layout with a big centered timer and its own settings. - **Timing focus screen.** Hides everything except the timer while you solve. - **Fullscreen toggle** (0.18.0). ## Events, scrambles and sessions - **All WCA events** (0.13.0 and earlier): 2x2 to 7x7, one-handed, blindfolded, 4x4 and 5x5 blindfolded, Fewest Moves, Multi-Blind, Clock, Megaminx, Pyraminx, Skewb, Square-1. Face-Turning Octahedron is available as a transition event. - **Practice scrambles** use random-state and event algorithms from cubing.js, generated ahead of time. They are for practice, not official WCA competition scramble sets. - **Animated scramble guide.** Step through the scramble move by move on a 3D puzzle. - **Sessions** (0.13.0 and earlier). Unlimited sessions per event, rename, sort, browse, and safe deletion that moves solves instead of losing them. - **Recent solves list.** Tap a solve for details, apply a penalty, delete it, or share it. Delete the latest solve with a shortcut and restore it if you change your mind. - **Shorter centered solve list** (0.18.1). - **Merge sessions** (0.24.0). Right-click a session, choose Merge sessions, tick the sessions to fold in and, if you like, rename the result. Their solves move into one big session and keep their dates. You can undo it right after. The protected Default practice session stays, but empty. - **Escape closes windows** (0.24.0). Solve details, session dialogs, the account panel, the share window and settings all close with Escape, one at a time. ## Statistics and analysis - **Current, best, mean and averages** (0.13.0 and earlier), following WCA rules: the best and worst solve are dropped from averages of 5 and up, and a DNF counts as the worst. - **Average popups** (0.19.0). Click or tap any average (mo3, ao5, ao12, ao25, ao50, ao100, ao200, ao500, ao1000) to see the exact solves in it, with dropped solves in brackets. Switch between your current average and your best ever, and copy the list. "All averages" shows a table of every size at once. Works on desktop and mobile. - **Analytics view.** A dedicated analytics view of your sessions: daily trend, time-of-day and weekday patterns, practice calendar and coaching notes. Part of Cubuki+ since 0.25.0. - **Insights** (0.17.0). Method detection and a data layer that summarizes how you solve. Since 0.25.0 it also opens with a free progress chart, a distribution chart and four summary numbers for everyone. - **CFOP step analysis** (0.16.1). For smart-cube solves, splits recognition and execution time for each step, with TPS, step times and the full solution. - **Solution notes and replay** (0.16.0). Smart-cube moves are recorded with timing and replayed on a 3D cube with rotate buttons and step controls (step controls added 0.16.1). - **csTimer import** (0.17.0). Bring your old csTimer sessions in with a button. ## Learning - **Notation, beginner method and CFOP lessons** with a 3D cube that plays, pauses and steps through every algorithm (0.13.0 and earlier). - **Full OLL (57) and PLL (21) libraries and F2L examples.** Every algorithm is checked by an automated test. - **Alternative algorithms** (0.13.0 baseline work, 2026-11-02). Each case lists extra algs with notes, plus a "worth learning?" note. Tests make sure every alternative is the same case as the main alg. - **Community-voted mains** (0.14.1). Main algs follow SpeedCubeDB votes, with the older mains kept as alternatives. - **PLL updates** (0.13.3 and 0.20.0). New mains for A, V, Rb and Ja perms and alternatives for all G and N perms. 0.20.0 adds more verified alternatives for Ab, G, Ja, Rb and N perms and makes the V perm main alg `R U' R U R' D R D' R U' D R2 U R2 D' R2`. - **ZZ and Roux lessons** (0.19.0). ZZ: plan, EO, line, blocks, last layer. Roux: first block, second block, CMLL and LSE, all with demos that are checked by tests. - **Recognition trainer** (0.17.0). Spaced practice that shows you cases and asks what they are, weighting the ones you miss. - **Progress tracker and roadmap.** - **Guided tour** (0.18.0). A quick tour and a full tour, with a Continue where I left off option. ## Smart cubes and devices - **Bluetooth discovery** (0.13.0 and earlier, experimental). Depends on browser, OS and hardware. Manual entry is always the fallback. - **GAN timer support** (0.17.0). - **Live smart cube** (0.17.0). A 3D cube mirrors your real cube, with a gyro toggle. - **Interactive simulation cube** (0.18.0). Turn the cube with the mouse in the simulation view. - **StackMat audio input.** Use a StackMat timer through a microphone input, with a live decoder and diagnostics. - **Two-hand sensors and input diagnostics.** See what each input device is sending. ## Customization - **Themes and appearance** (0.13.0 and earlier). Dark and light themes, accent colours, density, and workspace background (image or URL) with adjustable shading. - **Theme files** (0.16.1). Export and import `.pctheme` files, with preview and the choice of which parts to apply. Includes the centered layout (0.18.1). - **Appearance profiles** (0.15.0). Save whole looks and switch between them. Free accounts get 2 profiles; Cubuki+ gets 10. Each profile can have a short description (0.24.0), which you can edit later along with its name. - **Widgets panel** (0.16.1). Turn timer-screen widgets on or off and reorder them. - **Layout Studio.** Drag and resize panels, with scale that follows the pointer and edges that snap (0.16.0). Hidden panels stay hidden and have the same geometry as normal mode (0.13.4). A Done bar makes it easy to exit (0.18.1). - **OBS layout** (0.13.0 and earlier). Chroma-key colour, transparent page background, camera space and keyboard shortcuts for streaming. - **Mascot / watermark.** Place an image or GIF on screen, resize, mirror, rotate, lock, and hide it during solves. - **Custom audio and voice.** Replace cues for finish, PB and DNF, adjust master volume and the built-in voice. - **Spotify control** (optional, PKCE sign-in). - **Console.** A built-in console panel in Settings for advanced use. - **Keyboard shortcuts.** Rebindable shortcuts for new scramble and removing the hovered solve. - **GIFs become smaller animated WebP** (0.24.1). When you import a GIF as a background or mascot, Cubuki converts it on your device to a high-quality animated WebP: the same animation, usually about four times smaller, with better colour and transparency kept. That makes backgrounds light to sync and back up. If your device cannot do the conversion, the GIF is kept as it was. - **Big pictures show** (0.24.1). Backgrounds and mascots over about 1.5 MB used to show nothing in some cases; now any picture up to the limit (12 MB for a background, 8 MB for a mascot after conversion; GIFs up to 40 MB can be imported) displays. - **Colour picker with hex codes** (0.23.0). Every colour setting opens the same picker on Windows, Mac, Linux and Android: a colour square, a hue slider and a box where you can type or paste a hex code like `#fd3534`. It replaces the different system colour dialogs. - **Stronger colour effects** (0.23.0). Wave, Pulse and Cycle now light up the whole interface: panel borders and glows, the timer digits and the background take on the colour that is currently playing, and Wave sweeps visible bands of light across the window. Strength, speed, direction and which parts change are still adjustable. ## Accounts, sync and friends - **Accounts** (0.14.0). Username, password and display name. Usernames are not case sensitive and can't be changed; display names can. Several accounts can share one network (0.19.0). - **Encrypted cloud sync** (0.14.0). Settings, profile, backgrounds and sessions and solves are stored encrypted on the server. Merging never deletes data and never duplicates solves. - **Two-way sync** (0.19.0 mobile, 0.19.1 desktop). The desktop now pulls solves from other devices every minute and when you return to the window, then pushes yours. - **Friends and chat** (0.14.0). Add friends by username, accept requests, get unread notifications, and chat. - **Redesigned chat** (0.15.0). Emoji picker, GIF search powered by KLIPY, and solve cards you can send. - **Online status** (0.20.0). Choose Online, Away, Do not disturb or Invisible, add a short status text, and see friends' online dots and "last seen". - **Battle mode** (0.17.0). Create or join a battle room with a code, solve the same scrambles, and compare results. - **Safer sign-in** (0.18.2 to 0.18.3). Cross-tab sign-in sync, sessions that stay fresh while you use the app, and forced password change after a temporary password. - **Cloud backup panel.** See when you last synced and sync on demand. - **One shared profile** (0.22.0). Your picture and name are the same on desktop, mobile and for your friends, who now see your picture in their friends list and chat. The newest change wins on every device. - **Chat notifications** (0.22.0). Pop-ups for new messages on desktop (with an unread count in the window title) and on Android, plus an unread badge on the Chat tab. They work while Cubuki is open or in the background; a fully closed app can't be notified yet. ## Sharing - **Solve cards** (0.13.0 and earlier, improved 0.15.0 and 0.20.0). A clean PNG card with your time, ao5, ao12, session PB, scramble and profile picture. - **Copy image, download PNG, copy Discord text** (0.20.0 makes each one report success or failure clearly). - **Share link** (0.15.0). Makes a public page that unfolds into the card when pasted in Discord and other apps. - **Send to a friend** (0.15.0). Posts the card in your chat. - **Share sheet** (0.20.0). On Android, Share opens the phone's share sheet with the picture attached. ## Data and privacy - Solves, sessions and media are stored on your device first (IndexedDB). Nothing is uploaded unless you sign in and sync. - **Backups.** JSON export for settings only or everything, CSV export for spreadsheets, and restore previews that show counts and merge by ID. - **Last-known-good recovery** for settings, so a bad save never wipes your setup. - **Safe transfers.** Filter by sessions, date range and time of day, and re-importing the same file skips what you already have. - **Cloud data** is encrypted on the server. Deleting your account removes your cloud data, friends and messages. ## Updates and installation - **Desktop installers** for Windows (0.13.0), plus a Linux AppImage and macOS builds (0.16.0). macOS builds are ad-hoc signed (0.17.1), so the first run needs the steps shown on the website. - **Update popup on launch** (0.13.4). The update address is built in, and checks run automatically. - **Smart updates** (0.14.1). When only the app code changed, only that small file is downloaded. - **Installer fixes** (0.13.2 to 0.13.3). The installer closes Cubuki by itself and skips a stuck old uninstaller. - **Self-updating desktop app** (0.22.0). Settings, Data & backup has Check for updates and an option to update automatically: updates download in the background and a small Restart now / Later message appears. Windows swaps in just the app code when it can, macOS replaces the app by itself, and Linux AppImages replace themselves. Other Linux installs open the download page. Everyone installs 0.22.0 by hand once; after that updates come from inside the app. - **Web version** (0.15.1). The full app runs in a browser at cubuki.com/web/. - **Android app.** Install the APK from the website. From 0.22.0 the app can find, download and check a new version itself and open Android's installer (you confirm once; the first time you allow installs from Cubuki). ## Mobile app (Android) The phone app is a focused version of Cubuki built for touch. - **Touch timer** (0.13.0 and earlier). Hold to arm, release to start, tap to stop. WCA inspection, spoken warnings, hold-time slider, and undo and restore of the last solve. - **Touch fixes** (0.19.0). The timer ignores a stray finger resting on the screen, a swipe cancels the hold, tapping anywhere stops a running solve in one light touch, and the buttons no longer overlay the content. - **Sessions and solve book.** Create, rename and delete sessions; browse all solves. - **Averages** (0.19.0). Tiles for every average with enough solves, plus the full averages popup. - **Themes and colours.** Midnight, Daylight and Violet presets, custom colours, and Smart blend. - **Safe transfer** (0.13.0 and earlier). Export and import filtered files with no duplicates. - **Cloud account and sync** (0.19.0). Sign in on the Account tab, sync on open, on return to the app, and shortly after you solve. - **More puzzles** (0.20.0). Pick any timed event: 2x2 through 7x7, one-handed, blindfolded, Pyraminx, Megaminx, Square-1, Clock, Skewb and FTO. Each puzzle has its own sessions and scrambles. Fewest Moves and Multi-Blind are not on mobile yet. - **Send to PC** (0.20.0). One tap on Transfer syncs everything with your desktop through your account. - **Chat** (0.20.0). A Chat tab with friends, requests, online dots, emoji, GIFs and solve cards. - **Backgrounds** (0.20.0). Choose a picture as the app background with adjustable shading. Backgrounds sync with your account. - **Status bar fix** (0.20.0). The header sits below the Android clock and battery, so the profile button is easy to tap. - **Share** (0.20.0). Share a solve card through the phone share sheet, make a public link, or save the PNG. - **Progress chart** (0.21.0). A chart of every solve with best-so-far, ao5 and ao12 lines. - **Solve details** (0.21.0). Tap a solve to see its time, date and scramble, mark it OK, +2 or DNF, add a note, copy the scramble, share or delete it. Search notes and scrambles, or filter by Best, +2, DNF and Notes. - **Record banners and quick buttons** (0.21.0). New personal bests and new best ao5, ao12 and ao100 are celebrated after a solve, with OK, +2, DNF and Note buttons right under the timer. - **Scramble picture** (0.21.0). A small optional picture of the scramble next to the text; tap it to enlarge. - **Cleaner navigation** (0.21.0). Timer, Solves, Chat and More; More holds the solver, Transfer, Account and Settings. - **OLL and PLL training** (0.21.0). Pick 3x3 OLL or PLL training in the puzzle list, choose which cases to practice, and after each solve see which case you just did. Solves go to their own training session. - **Hands-on-pads timer** (0.21.0, off by default). A StackMat-style two-hand mode that turns the app sideways. Turn it on in Settings. - **Shared profile and notifications** (0.22.0). Your picture and name match your desktop, and new messages show a badge and a notification. ## Cubuki+ (personalization and Analytics) Cubuki+ never locks the timer, sessions, everyday statistics, Insights, sync, chat or learning. It currently adds: - **Animated GIF and WebP backgrounds** on desktop and mobile (0.20.0). Still pictures are free for everyone. Without Cubuki+, an animated background shows its first frame. - **Background slideshow** (0.25.0). Add up to 10 pictures or GIFs that take turns behind the timer. Choose how long each one stays (or a default for all), how they change (fade, slide, zoom or instantly), the speed of the change, and shuffle. Every picture can have its own theme colours (picked from the picture for you, and editable), which fade in with it. It waits while a solve is running and is switched off in OBS capture windows. Desktop only for now. - **Analytics** (0.25.0). The full Analytics page (day-by-day trend, time-of-day and weekday patterns, practice calendar, consistency, coaching notes, routine check-in) is part of Cubuki+. Everyone keeps Insights, a lighter view with a progress chart, a distribution chart and the smart-cube analysis. - **10 appearance profiles** instead of 2 (0.15.0). - **Cube solver** on mobile (0.21.0). Paint your cube's colors or use the timer's scramble, and get a step-by-step solution: cross, four F2L pairs, then the OLL and PLL algorithms used, named from the app's library, with an animated replay. The cross is the yellow one on the bottom, with white on top. There is no checkout yet, so Cubuki+ is not on sale. ## Good to know - Scrambles are for practice and are not official WCA scrambles. - Bluetooth smart-cube support is experimental and depends on your device. No timer model is promised to work without being tested on the real hardware.