Use Breakout Rooms in Teams (During a Meeting)

Requirements
You must be the meeting organizer and use the Teams desktop app. Click here for help scheduling a meeting.

Create Breakout Rooms

  1. Select Rooms in the meeting controls.
  2. Choose the number of rooms (up to 50).
  3. Choose how to assign participants: Automatically, Manually, or Let them choose.
  4. Click Create rooms.

Add a Room During the Meeting
Go to Rooms > Add room +.

Manage Room Settings

Select Rooms > Room settings (gear icon) to update options.

Set Time Limits

  • In Room settings, set a time limit and click Save.
  • Participants join room immediately and return to the main meeting when time expires, unless Automatically move people is turned off.

Assign Room Managers

  1. Make the person a Presenter.
  2. Turn on Assign presenters to manage rooms in Room settings.
  3. Select presenters from the dropdown list (only one can manage rooms at a time).
  4. Click Save.

Rename Rooms During a Meeting

  1. Open Rooms in the meeting controls.
  2. Hover over a room, click More options (...) > Rename to enter a new name.
  3. Click Rename to confirm.

Assign/Reassign Participants

  1. Go to Rooms > Assign participants.
  2. Assign manually or click Shuffle to randomize.
  3. Click Save.

Open/Close Rooms

  • Click Open rooms to start all sessions.
  • Rooms stay open until closed manually or timed out.
  • If self-selection is enabled, participants can choose and join any open room.

Delete Rooms

Rooms must be closed before deletion.

  • To delete all: go to Rooms > Remove rooms.
  • To delete one: hover over a room > More options (...) > Delete.

Make an Announcement

Rooms must be open to send announcements.

  • Go to Rooms > Make an announcement, type your message, and click Send.
  • Participants see it in their room chat; replies show in your main Teams chat list.

Join a Room

  1. Open Rooms in the meeting controls.
  2. Hover over a room and click Join.
    Your mic and camera will be off by default until you enable them.
    To switch rooms, return to Rooms.

Chat in a Breakout Room

  1. Each room has its own chat.
  2. After joining, select Chat to view or send messages.
    Organizers can access all breakout chats in their main chat list.
  3. Announcements appear as IMPORTANT.

Return to Main Meeting

  • You'll return automatically when time runs out or the organizer closes the room.
  • You can also select Leave Room anytime.

Sources:
Manage breakout rooms in Microsoft Teams
Join a breakout room in Microsoft Teams