How To Create A Breakout Room In Zoom

Introduction

Welcome to this guide on how to create a breakout room in Zoom. Breakout rooms are a fantastic feature that enable you to divide your Zoom meeting into smaller, private sessions. They are great for interactive discussions, brainstorming sessions, group work, and team building activities.

Whether you’re organizing a virtual conference, a corporate training session, or an online class, breakout rooms can enhance the overall experience and foster collaboration among participants. By creating smaller groups, you allow attendees to engage in more intimate conversations and actively participate in the meeting.

In this article, we will walk you through the steps to set up and manage breakout rooms during your Zoom meetings. Whether you’re hosting the meeting or have been designated as a co-host, we’ve got you covered.

Please note that breakout rooms are available in Zoom desktop client version 5.3.0 or later, as well as Zoom mobile app version 5.3.0 or later. If you haven’t updated your Zoom software, we highly recommend that you do so to access all the latest features, including breakout rooms.

Now, let’s dive into the details of how to create and manage breakout rooms in Zoom, step by step.

Setting up Breakout Rooms in Zoom

Before you can start using breakout rooms in Zoom, it’s important to configure your meeting settings to allow for breakout room functionality. Follow these simple steps to ensure that breakout rooms are enabled:

1. Sign in to your Zoom account and click on the “Settings” tab in the navigation menu.
2. Under the “In Meeting (Basic)” section, make sure the “Breakout Room” option is enabled. If not, click on the toggle switch to enable it.
3. You can also customize other breakout room settings, such as the ability for participants to choose their own room or automatically assign participants when the breakout rooms are created.
4. Click on the “Save” button to confirm the changes.

Once you have enabled breakout rooms in your Zoom account settings, you can start setting up breakout rooms for your meetings. There are two ways to do this:

1. When scheduling a new meeting
2. During a meeting

We will cover both methods so you can choose the one that suits your needs.

Scheduling a Meeting with Breakout Rooms

If you want to set up breakout rooms when scheduling a new meeting, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to your Zoom account and click on the “Schedule a Meeting” button.
2. Enter the details for your meeting, such as the topic, date, time, and duration.
3. In the “Meeting Options” section, check the box that says “Breakout Room pre-assign.”
4. Click on the “Create Meeting” button to finalize the scheduling process.
5. You can then assign participants to the breakout rooms by uploading a CSV file with the participant details or by manually entering the email addresses of the participants.

Starting Breakout Rooms during a Meeting

If you prefer to set up breakout rooms during a meeting, follow these steps:

1. Start your Zoom meeting as the host.
2. Once the meeting has started, click on the “Breakout Rooms” button at the bottom of the Zoom window.
3. In the breakout room panel, click on the “Create Rooms” button to automatically create a specified number of breakout rooms based on the number of participants.
4. You can also click on the “Options” button to customize the settings, such as allowing participants to choose their own room or manually assign participants to specific rooms.
5. Click on the “Create” button to generate the breakout rooms.

Now that you know how to set up breakout rooms in Zoom, let’s move on to the next section, where we will explore the process of assigning participants to breakout rooms.

Step 1: Scheduling a Meeting with Breakout Rooms

If you want to set up breakout rooms when scheduling a new meeting in Zoom, follow these step-by-step instructions:

1. Sign in to your Zoom account and click on the “Schedule a Meeting” button. This will take you to the scheduling page where you can enter the details for your meeting.
2. Fill in the meeting topic, date, time, and duration as you normally would when scheduling a meeting.
3. In the “Meeting Options” section, you will find a checkbox that says “Breakout Room pre-assign.” Check this box to indicate that you want to set up breakout rooms for this meeting.
4. Once you have checked the box, a text box will appear where you can enter the names or email addresses of the participants for each breakout room. Alternatively, you can upload a CSV file with the participant details.
5. If you already have the breakout rooms pre-assigned and saved as a CSV file, click on the “Import from CSV” button to upload the file. This will automatically populate the participant details in the text box.
6. If you prefer to manually assign participants to breakout rooms, simply type their names or email addresses in the text box and separate them with commas or line breaks.
7. Once you have entered the participant details for each breakout room, click on the “Save” button to finalize the scheduling process.

By scheduling a meeting with pre-assigned breakout rooms, you can save time during the actual meeting and ensure that participants are already assigned to their designated rooms. This is especially useful for larger meetings or events where you have a long list of participants.

Remember, you can always make changes to the breakout room assignments by editing the meeting details before the start of the meeting. Simply go back to the scheduling page, modify the breakout room assignments, and save the changes.

Now that you know how to schedule a meeting with breakout rooms in Zoom, let’s move on to the next step, where we will learn how to start breakout rooms during a meeting.

Step 2: Starting Breakout Rooms during a Meeting

Once your Zoom meeting has started, you can easily start the breakout rooms to divide your participants into smaller groups. Follow these step-by-step instructions to start breakout rooms during a meeting:

1. As the meeting host, you will see a toolbar at the bottom of the Zoom window. Click on the “Breakout Rooms” button.
2. A breakout room panel will appear on the screen. From here, you have two options:
• Create Rooms: This option allows you to automatically create a specified number of breakout rooms based on the number of participants. Click on the “Create Rooms” button to proceed.
• Options: This option gives you more control over the breakout rooms. By clicking on the “Options” button, you can choose whether participants can choose their own room, assign participants to rooms manually, or automatically assign participants. You can also set a time limit for the breakout sessions.
3. If you select the “Create Rooms” option, the breakout rooms will be created automatically. The participants will be randomly assigned to the rooms, and each breakout room will have its dedicated virtual space for participants to interact.
4. If you choose the “Options” button, you can customize the settings based on your preferences. You can manually assign participants to specific breakout rooms or allow them to choose their own rooms. You can also assign co-hosts for each breakout room if needed.
5. Once you have configured the breakout room settings, click on the “Create” button to generate the breakout rooms. The participants will be automatically moved to their assigned rooms, and the host will have the option to join any of the breakout rooms.

Starting breakout rooms during a meeting allows for seamless transitions from the main meeting to the breakout sessions. Participants will be able to actively engage with each other in smaller groups, fostering collaboration and discussion.

Now that you know how to start breakout rooms during a meeting, let’s move on to the next step, where we will explore how to assign participants to breakout rooms.

Step 3: Assigning Participants to Breakout Rooms

After starting the breakout rooms in Zoom, you might need to manually assign participants to specific breakout rooms or allow them to choose their rooms. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to assign participants to breakout rooms:

1. Once the breakout rooms are created, you will see a breakout room panel on your screen. Click on the “Options” button within this panel to access the breakout room settings.
2. In the breakout room options, you will find the “Assign” column. Here, you can see the list of participants and the currently assigned breakout rooms.
3. To manually assign participants to breakout rooms, click on the “Assign” button next to a participant’s name. A drop-down list will appear, showing all available breakout room options. Select the desired breakout room from the list to assign the participant to that room.
4. If you want to allow participants to choose their own rooms, click on the “Let participants choose room” checkbox located at the top of the breakout room options. This will enable participants to decide which room they want to join.
5. If participants are allowed to choose their own rooms, they will see a prompt on their screen asking them to select a breakout room. They can click on the room they want to join, and Zoom will automatically move them to that room.
6. As the host, you can also move participants between breakout rooms. Simply click on the “Assign” button next to a participant’s name and select a different breakout room from the drop-down list.
7. If you have multiple co-hosts assigned to the meeting, they can also help with managing breakout rooms. Co-hosts can assign participants to rooms, move participants between rooms, and join any breakout room as needed.
8. Once you have finished assigning participants to breakout rooms, you can close the breakout room options panel. All participants will be in their respective breakout rooms and can start engaging in discussions or activities.

By manually assigning participants or allowing them to choose their own rooms, you have control over how participants are grouped and can create a more personalized experience for everyone in the meeting.

Now that you know how to assign participants to breakout rooms, let’s move on to the next step, where we will explore how to join a breakout room as the host.

Step 4: Joining a Breakout Room as the host

As the host of a Zoom meeting with breakout rooms, you have the ability to join any of the breakout rooms to check in on participants, offer guidance, or facilitate discussions. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to join a breakout room as the host:

1. During the meeting, you will see a toolbar at the bottom of the Zoom window. Click on the “Breakout Rooms” button.
2. In the breakout room panel, you will see a list of all the available breakout rooms and the number of participants in each room. To join a specific breakout room, click on the “Join” button next to the desired room.
3. Once you click on the “Join” button, you will be automatically moved to that breakout room. You can now interact with the participants in that particular room.
4. While in a breakout room, you can use the Zoom controls to communicate with the participants. You can see and hear the participants, share your screen, chat, and use other meeting features.
5. If you need to go back to the main meeting or join a different breakout room, simply click on the “Leave Room” button at the bottom of the Zoom window. You will then have the option to go back to the main meeting or choose a different breakout room to join.
6. To return to the main meeting from any breakout room, click on the “Leave Room” button and then select “Leave Breakout Room” in the pop-up menu. You will be directed back to the main meeting room.
7. It’s important to note that when you leave a breakout room and join another, the participants in the new room will be notified of your presence, and you will be visible to them on their screens.

Joining breakout rooms as the host allows you to actively participate in each group and provide support or guidance as needed. It gives you the opportunity to engage directly with participants and ensure that the discussions are going smoothly.

Now that you know how to join a breakout room as the host, let’s move on to the next step, where we will explore how to manage breakout rooms during a meeting.

Step 5: Managing Breakout Rooms during a Meeting

As the host of a Zoom meeting with breakout rooms, you have the ability to manage and oversee the breakout sessions to ensure a smooth and productive experience for all participants. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to manage breakout rooms during a meeting:

1. During the meeting, click on the “Breakout Rooms” button in the toolbar at the bottom of the Zoom window.
2. In the breakout room panel, you will see a list of all the breakout rooms along with the number of participants in each room. You can use this panel to view and manage the breakout rooms.
3. If you need to make an announcement or communicate with all breakout rooms simultaneously, click on the “Broadcast a message to all” button at the bottom of the breakout room panel. This will send a message to all breakout rooms simultaneously.
4. If you want to move between breakout rooms as the host, click on the “Join” button next to the desired room within the breakout room panel. You will be automatically moved to that room and can interact with the participants.
5. While inside a breakout room, you can use the Zoom controls to communicate with participants, share your screen, or chat with the group. You can also use the “Ask for Help” button if you need assistance from a co-host or participant.
6. You have the option to assign co-hosts to each breakout room to help manage the sessions. Co-hosts can help with assigning participants, moderating discussions, and providing support to participants.
7. If you need to bring all participants back to the main meeting, click on the “Close All Rooms” button in the breakout room panel. This will end the breakout sessions and return all participants to the main meeting room.
8. You also have the ability to manually close individual breakout rooms. To do this, click on the “Close” button next to the specific room in the breakout room panel.
9. If you want to extend the duration of the breakout sessions, go to the breakout room options by clicking on the “Options” button within the breakout room panel. From there, you can adjust the session duration as needed.

Managing breakout rooms during a Zoom meeting allows you to smoothly oversee the discussions, provide assistance when needed, and ensure that participants are actively engaged. It gives you the flexibility to monitor and support multiple breakout sessions simultaneously.

Now that you know how to manage breakout rooms during a meeting, let’s move on to the next step, where we will explore how to end breakout rooms and return to the main meeting.

Step 6: Ending Breakout Rooms and returning to the Main Meeting

Once the breakout sessions in Zoom have served their purpose, it’s time to bring the participants back to the main meeting. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to end breakout rooms and return to the main meeting:

1. As the host, click on the “Breakout Rooms” button in the toolbar at the bottom of the Zoom window.
2. In the breakout room panel, you will see a list of all the breakout rooms along with the number of participants in each room.
3. To end all breakout rooms and bring participants back to the main meeting, click on the “Close All Rooms” button in the breakout room panel.
4. A confirmation window will appear to ensure that you want to close all breakout rooms. Click on the “End Rooms” button to confirm.
5. All participants will be automatically moved back to the main meeting room. They will receive a notification that the breakout rooms have been closed and will be brought back to the main meeting.
6. Once the participants are back in the main meeting, you can proceed with any necessary follow-up discussions, summarize key points, or wrap up the meeting as needed.

Ending breakout rooms and returning to the main meeting allows for a smooth transition and brings everyone back together to share insights, ask questions, or provide updates based on the breakout room discussions. It helps consolidate the information and allows for further collaboration and engagement.

Remember to provide any necessary closing remarks or instructions and thank the participants for their active participation in the breakout sessions before adjourning the meeting.

With these steps, you can confidently manage breakout rooms in Zoom, facilitate meaningful discussions, and create an interactive and engaging virtual meeting experience.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have now learned how to create, manage, and use breakout rooms in Zoom. This powerful feature allows you to divide your meetings into smaller groups, promoting collaboration, interaction, and a more personalized experience for participants. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily set up breakout rooms, assign participants, join and manage the breakout sessions, and bring everyone back to the main meeting.

Breakout rooms are incredibly versatile and can be used in various scenarios, from educational settings to corporate meetings and interactive workshops. They offer a way to engage participants, foster discussions, and enable focused collaboration within smaller groups. Whether you’re hosting a virtual conference, conducting team-building activities, or facilitating training sessions, breakout rooms can enhance the overall meeting experience.

Remember to familiarize yourself with the Zoom platform, ensure that breakout rooms are enabled in your account settings, and follow the specific instructions outlined in each step. Additionally, don’t hesitate to explore the additional features and options available within breakout rooms, such as assigning co-hosts, allowing participants to choose their own rooms, or customizing the breakout room settings as per your meeting requirements.

We hope this guide has provided you with the knowledge and confidence to make the most out of breakout rooms in Zoom. Implementing breakout rooms can take your virtual meetings to the next level, encouraging active participation, fruitful discussions, and meaningful connections among participants.

Now, go ahead and create your own breakout rooms in your Zoom meetings, and enjoy the enhanced collaboration and engagement they bring!