How to Use Breakout Rooms in Zoom? A Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Breakout rooms in Zoom have become an essential feature for virtual meetings, online classrooms, and large-scale team collaborations. This dynamic tool allows meeting hosts to divide participants into smaller groups for more focused and interactive discussions, all while remaining part of the larger meeting. In this guide, we will explore how to use breakout rooms in Zoom, with practical steps, tips, and solutions to common challenges. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to maximize the feature for more advanced needs, this article will walk you through everything you need to know.

Why Use Breakout Rooms in Zoom?

Imagine trying to conduct a meaningful conversation with 50 people at once. It’s overwhelming, and participants often feel disconnected. Breakout rooms in Zoom allow you to divide large groups into smaller, more manageable ones, where everyone can engage more deeply. This is especially helpful in:

• Virtual classrooms: Teachers can split students into small groups for collaborative tasks.
• Corporate meetings: Breakout rooms can be used to discuss specific topics with different departments.
• Workshops or training sessions: Facilitators can engage participants in smaller groups for more interactive learning.

With breakout rooms, you can easily move between rooms to monitor discussions, send broadcast messages to all rooms, and bring everyone back into the main session when necessary.

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How to Use Breakout Rooms in Zoom: A Step-by-Step Guide

Using breakout rooms in Zoom is quite simple once you understand the steps. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to set them up and manage them during a meeting.

Step 1: Enable Breakout Rooms in Zoom

Before you can use breakout rooms, you need to make sure the feature is enabled in your Zoom settings. Follow these steps to enable breakout rooms:

1. Sign in to your Zoom account via a web browser.
2. Navigate to the Settings tab in the left-hand menu.
3. Under the In-Meeting (Advanced) section, scroll down to find the Breakout Room option.
4. Toggle the switch to enable breakout rooms.
5. If you want to allow participants to choose their own rooms, check the option “Allow participants to choose room.”

Once enabled, this feature will be available in your meetings.

Step 2: Start a Zoom Meeting

To create breakout rooms, you need to start or join a Zoom meeting where you’re the host. Once the meeting begins:

1. Click on the Breakout Rooms button at the bottom of the screen in the Zoom toolbar.
2. Choose how many breakout rooms you’d like to create.
3. Zoom will then give you the option to either assign participants to rooms automatically or manually.

Step 3: Assign Participants to Breakout Rooms

Zoom offers two ways to assign participants to breakout rooms:

• Automatically: Zoom will randomly divide participants into rooms.
• Manually: You can assign specific participants to each room.

Once the rooms are created, participants will be notified and moved into their designated breakout rooms.

Step 4: Manage Breakout Rooms

As the host, you have full control over the breakout rooms. Here’s what you can do:

• Join any room: You can enter any breakout room at any time by clicking on its name.
• Broadcast messages: Send a message to all rooms simultaneously (e.g., “5 minutes left”).
• Close all rooms: When you want to bring participants back to the main session, click “Close All Rooms,” and everyone will be given 60 seconds to return.

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How to Use Breakout Rooms in Zoom on Phone

Many users prefer to manage their Zoom meetings from their phones, but the mobile interface differs slightly from the desktop version. Here’s a guide on how to use breakout rooms in Zoom on phone:

Step-by-Step Guide for Mobile:

1. Start or join a meeting on the Zoom app.
2. Once the meeting has begun, tap the More button at the bottom right of the screen.
3. From the options, select Breakout Rooms.
4. You can now create rooms, assign participants, and manage the session just like on a desktop.

Managing breakout rooms on a phone is very straightforward, but remember that the layout is more compact, so the features might be condensed into fewer buttons.

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How to Use Breakout Rooms in Zoom for Beginners

If you’re new to Zoom or just discovering breakout rooms, don’t worry! Setting up and managing breakout rooms is easy, even for beginners. Here’s a quick-start guide:

Step-by-Step Instructions for Beginners:

1. Sign in to Zoom: Before anything, log into your Zoom account.
2. Start a meeting: Either schedule a new meeting or join one where you’re the host.
3. Enable breakout rooms: Make sure the breakout room feature is turned on in your Zoom settings.
4. Create breakout rooms: Once the meeting starts, click on the Breakout Rooms button and choose how you want to assign participants.
5. Monitor the session: You can move between rooms, assist participants, and bring them back to the main room when ready.

For beginners, it’s crucial to experiment with the breakout room feature before using it in a live meeting. This will give you a better understanding of how the settings work.

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Why Can’t I See Breakout Rooms in Zoom?

One of the most common questions users have is: “Why can’t I see breakout rooms in Zoom?” There are a few reasons this might happen:

1. Breakout rooms are not enabled: Make sure you’ve enabled the feature in your Zoom settings under the “In-Meeting (Advanced)” section.
2. You’re not the host: Only the host or co-host can manage and see the breakout room option. If you’re not the host, you won’t have access to this feature.
3. Outdated Zoom version: Sometimes, an outdated version of the Zoom app could cause issues. Make sure your app is updated to the latest version.

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Where is the Breakout Room Button in Zoom?

Once you’ve enabled the feature in your Zoom settings, the breakout room button should appear in your Zoom meeting interface.

• On desktop, you’ll find the breakout room button at the bottom of the screen, next to the other meeting controls.
• On mobile, you can locate it by tapping the More button, which reveals the breakout room option.

If you still can’t see it, double-check that the feature is enabled and that you’re the meeting host.

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How to Create Breakout Rooms in Zoom in Advance

Did you know that you can create breakout rooms in Zoom in advance before the meeting even begins? This feature is particularly useful for large meetings, webinars, or educational sessions where planning is essential.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Creating Breakout Rooms in Advance:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal: You’ll need to log in to the Zoom website to access advanced features.
2. Schedule a meeting: While scheduling your meeting, scroll down to the “Meeting Options” section.
3. Select ‘Breakout Room Pre-Assign’: This will allow you to create rooms and assign participants beforehand.
4. Manually assign participants: Add participants by email or upload a CSV file if you have a large list of participants.

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How to Enable Breakout Rooms in Zoom

Before diving into your next big meeting, it’s crucial to enable the breakout room feature in your Zoom account.

Steps to Enable Breakout Rooms:

1. Go to your Zoom settings: Log into the Zoom web portal and click on the “Settings” tab.
2. Scroll to In-Meeting (Advanced).
3. Find the Breakout Room option and toggle it on.
4. To let participants choose their own breakout room, ensure you check the box that allows self-selection.

This feature will remain active for all your future meetings until you disable it.

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How to Create Breakout Rooms in Zoom on Phone

Many users prefer the convenience of using Zoom on their phones. While the mobile interface is slightly different from the desktop, creating breakout rooms is just as easy.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Mobile:

1. Start a Zoom meeting: Open the Zoom app on your phone and join or start a meeting.
2. Access breakout rooms: Tap the More button in the bottom-right corner.
3. Create and assign rooms: Select Breakout Rooms, then choose how you want to assign participants.
4. Manage rooms: You can move between rooms, broadcast messages, or end the session when you’re ready.

Managing breakout rooms on mobile is designed to be intuitive, so you won’t have to worry about missing any important options.

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Additional Tips for Using Breakout Rooms in Zoom

• Broadcast messages: As the host, you can send a message to all participants in breakout rooms, giving them updates or instructions.
• Ask for help: Participants can click the “Ask for Help” button, notifying the host that they need assistance.
• Recreate rooms: After closing breakout rooms, you can easily recreate them with the same or new participants, making it perfect for longer sessions.

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Read more about: Where Do My Zoom Recordings Go?, Can You Edit a Zoom Recording?,  How to Add Virtual Background in Zoom and How to Set Up a Zoom Meeting and Invite Others?

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Conclusion: Why You Should Use Breakout Rooms in Zoom

Breakout rooms in Zoom have transformed the way we conduct virtual meetings, classes, and training sessions. Their flexibility and ease of use make them ideal for engaging participants and fostering more meaningful interactions. From beginners to advanced users, understanding how to use breakout rooms in Zoom can take your meetings to the next level.

Whether you’re using Zoom for business meetings, educational purposes, or social events, incorporating breakout rooms can make all the difference in how participants interact and collaborate. Follow the steps outlined in this guide, and you’ll be a breakout room pro in no time!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):