---
title: "Breakout Rooms in Teams Meetings"
canonical: "https://tech-shu-edu.refined.site/space/PUBLICKBA/2101510178/Breakout%20Rooms%20in%20Teams%20Meetings"
format: markdown
---
In all but the smallest meetings, it can be difficult to have open discussions and a meaningful exchange of ideas. With breakout rooms, people gather in small groups for lively conversation and brainstorming sessions.

Only meeting organizers on the desktop versions of Teams (Windows and Mac) can create and manage breakout rooms.

> Macro (toc)

## Create breakout rooms

You can automatically assign people to breakout rooms when you create them. If you want to move people around later in the meeting, you'll have to do so manually.

To create breakout rooms, you must be a meeting organizer or presenter who's been appointed a [breakout rooms manager](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-breakout-rooms-in-teams-meetings-7de1f48a-da07-466c-a5ab-4ebace28e461#bkmk_appointpresenters).

<details>
<summary>Create breakout rooms before the meeting</summary>

1. Go to your Teams calendar and open the meeting invite.
2. Go to **Breakout rooms** and select **Create rooms**.
3. Choose the number of rooms you want (up to 50) and select **Add rooms**.
  In this example, three rooms were created but no one's been assigned to them yet.
4. Select **Assign participants**.
5. Choose whether you want Teams to evenly assign people to rooms (**Automatically**) or assign people yourself (**Manually**).

As soon as the meeting starts, you can open the breakout rooms.
</details>

<details>
<summary>Create breakout rooms during the meeting</summary>

1. Start the meeting.
2. In the meeting controls, select **Breakout rooms**.
  
3. Do the following:
  1. Choose the number of rooms you want (up to 50).
  2. Choose whether you want Teams to evenly assign people to rooms (**Automatically**) or assign people yourself (**Manually**).
    
4. Select **Create Rooms**
</details>

## Assign people to breakout rooms manually

Assign participants to each breakout room if you didn't do so automatically or need to reassign someone to another room. To assign people, you must be a meeting organizer or presenter who's been appointed a [breakout rooms manager](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-breakout-rooms-in-teams-meetings-7de1f48a-da07-466c-a5ab-4ebace28e461#bkmk_appointpresenters).

<details>
<summary>Assign people manually before the meeting</summary>

1. Go to your Teams calendar and open the meeting invite.
2. Go to **Breakout rooms **and select **Assign participants**.
3. Choose **Manually** and select **Next**.
4. Choose the people you want in a room by selecting the checkboxes next to their names.
5. Select the down arrow next to **Assign **and choose a room for them.
6. Repeat the previous steps until everyone in the meeting is assigned to a room. When you're done, select **Confirm**.
</details>

<details>
<summary>Assign people manually during the meeting</summary>

1. In the meeting controls, select **Breakout rooms.**
2. Select **Assign participants**. From this window, sort people to see who's been assigned where by selecting the down arrow next to **Name** or **Room**.
3. Choose the people you want in a room by selecting the checkboxes next to their names.
  
4. Select the down arrow next to **Assign **and choose a room for them.
  
5. Repeat the previous steps until everyone in the meeting is assigned to a room. When you're done, select **Confirm**.
  If someone joins the meeting late, select **Assign participants** again to assign them to a room.
</details>

## Appoint breakout rooms managers

If you're the meeting organizer, you can delegate presenters to manage the meeting's breakout rooms.

Breakout rooms managers can:

- Add and delete rooms
- Assign and reassign participants to rooms
- Open and close rooms
- Join any rooms
- Set time limits for room sessions
- Send announcements
- Recreate rooms

<details>
<summary>Appoint managers before the meeting</summary>

1. Go to your Teams calendar and open the meeting invite.
2. Go to **Breakout rooms** and select **Room settings**.
3. Switch the **Assign presenters to manage rooms** toggle on.
4. Select **Search for presenters** and choose who you want to be breakout rooms managers.
</details>

<details>
<summary>Appoint managers during the meeting</summary>

1. In the meeting controls, select **Breakout rooms**.
2. Select **Room settings**.
3. Switch the **Assign presenters to manage rooms** toggle on.
4. If no one in the meeting is designated as a presenter, select **Go to Meeting options to add presenters** and choose who you want to be a room manager.
5. Choose presenters from the dropdown menu.
  
6. Select the back button **<** to save your changes.
</details>

<details>
<summary>Take control of breakout rooms</summary>

You might be one of a few breakout rooms managers in your meeting. Only one of you can control the rooms at a time, though.

1. In the meeting controls, select **Breakout rooms**.You can see who the current manager is (for example, **Daniela is in control**).
2. Select **Manage rooms**.
  You're now the breakout rooms manager. Join open rooms, make an announcement, and more.
</details>

## Rename breakout rooms

If you want, rename each room to reflect its purpose (for example, what the people in that room will be working on).

1. In the meeting controls, select **Breakout rooms**.
2. Hover over the room and select **More options **then** Rename room.**
  
3. Enter the new name and select **Rename room**.

## Set a time limit for breakout room sessions

When you set a time limit, a timer is visible in each breakout room so that participants are aware of when the session will end. When time is up, the rooms close and participants return to the main meeting.

1. In the meeting controls, select **Breakout rooms**.
2. Select **Rooms settings**.
3. Select **Set a time limit** and choose a session length.
  
4. Select the back button **<** to save your changes.

## Start using the breakout rooms

By default, meeting participants are moved to their assigned rooms as soon as you open them, but you can turn off this setting (see [Turn off automatic entry to breakout rooms](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-breakout-rooms-in-teams-meetings-7de1f48a-da07-466c-a5ab-4ebace28e461#bkmk_turnoffautoentry)).

1. In the meeting controls, select **Breakout rooms**.
2. Do one of the following:
  - To open all the rooms at the same time, select **Open**.
  - To open a single room, hover over the room, select **More options, **and choose** Open room.**

You can open and close breakout rooms more than once during a meeting.

## Join a breakout room

If you're the meeting organizer or a [breakout rooms manager](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-breakout-rooms-in-teams-meetings-7de1f48a-da07-466c-a5ab-4ebace28e461#bkmk_appointpresenters), you can join any of the rooms.

1. In the meeting controls, select **Breakout rooms**.
2. Hover over the room and select **More options** then **Join room.**

## Leave a breakout room

In the meeting controls, select **Return**.

## Interact with breakout room participants

As meeting organizer, you can send announcements to all the breakout rooms and contribute to any of the room chats. 

<details>
<summary>Send an announcement to all breakout rooms</summary>

You may want to tell everyone the remaining breakout session time, offer discussion ideas, or just give general updates.

1. In the meeting controls, select **Breakout rooms**
2. Select **Make an announcement**
3. Enter your announcement and select **Send**.

Participants are notified in their meeting chat to check for your announcement.
</details>

<details>
<summary>Chat in breakout rooms</summary>

Each breakout room has its own chat. All of the chats are available in your main Teams **Chat **list.

![chat with a room](media://0ede306c-f0c1-4646-a69e-6cedf3c01a23)

Here you can chat with the members of any breakout room.

Once you join a breakout room, you can also select **Chat** in the room to chat with the people there.
</details>

## Close breakout rooms

When you close the breakout rooms, the participants return to the main meeting.

<details>
<summary>Close rooms individually</summary>

1. In the meeting controls, select **Breakout rooms**
2. Hover over the room and select **More options** then **Close room**.
</details>

<details>
<summary>In the meeting controls, select Breakout rooms </summary>

1. In the meeting controls, select **Breakout rooms**
2. Select **Close**.

You'll know rooms have successfully closed when their status changes to **Closed**.

When everyone is back from their breakout rooms and you're ready to meet as a larger group again, select **Resume**.
</details>

## Room assignments in recurring meetings

Unless the organizer manually unassigns people from their breakout rooms, the same rooms and room assignments will be available for the next meeting.

## Additional options

<details>
<summary>Turn off automatic entry to breakout rooms</summary>

By default, participants are automatically moved into breakout rooms when they're opened. When you turn off this option, participants receive a message asking them to join a breakout room. They select **Join room** (**Join **on a mobile device) before being moved.

1. In the meeting controls, select **Breakout rooms**
2. Select **Room settings**
3. Switch the **Automatically move people to rooms** toggle off.
4. Select the back button **<** to save your changes.

Meeting attendees can learn more about joining and participating in breakout rooms here: [Join a breakout room in a Teams meeting](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/join-a-breakout-room-in-a-teams-meeting-428e95a6-bd4d-49ba-bbeb-ed62098ee0f9).
</details>

<details>
<summary>Allow people to return to the main meeting</summary>

By default, this setting is off. Turning it on gives participants the option to leave their breakout rooms and return to the original meeting to rejoin the larger discussion. 

1. In the meeting controls, select **Breakout rooms**
2. Select **Room settings**
3. Switch the **Let people return to the main meeting** toggle on.
4. Select the back button **<** to save your changes.
</details>

<details>
<summary>Move a person to a different breakout room</summary>

Participants can be moved when breakout rooms are open or closed.

1. In the meeting controls, select **Breakout rooms**
2. Select **Assign participants **and select the checkbox next to the person's name you want to move.
3. Choose a new room for the person and select **Assign **then **Move**.
</details>

<details>
<summary>Add another breakout room</summary>

1. In the meeting controls, select **Breakout rooms**
2. Select **Add room**
</details>

<details>
<summary>Delete an individual breakout room</summary>

1. In the meeting controls, select **Breakout rooms**
2. Hover over the room and select **More options** then **Delete room**.
</details>

<details>
<summary>Delete all breakout rooms at once</summary>

1. In the meeting controls, select **Breakout rooms**
2. Select **Remove rooms** then **Remove**.
</details>

<details>
<summary>Recreate breakout rooms from scratch</summary>

During a meeting, you can delete all the breakout room and create new ones and reassign participants.

1. In the meeting controls, select **Breakout rooms**
2. Select **Recreate rooms **and confirm the decision.
3. Follow the instructions above to create new breakout rooms and assign people to them.
</details>