Breakout Rooms

Breakout Rooms are a tool in Zoom that allows hosts to separate participants into different video calls. As a host, you can move between and record in the Breakout Rooms.

Create Breakout Rooms

  1. Click the Breakout Rooms button in the bottom toolbar.

    Click the Breakout Rooms button

  2. Organize the Breakout Rooms

    1. Enter the number of rooms you want to create.
    2. Select whether to create the rooms automatically or manually by assigning participants to specific groups.
    Organize the Breakout Rooms

  3. Click the Assign button to begin assigning participants to that room.

    Zoom main page with Schedule a New Meeting button

  4. Assign participants to the Breakout Room

    Note: Each participant can be assigned to only one breakout room.

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Move Between Breakout Rooms

As a host, you can move between Breakout Rooms at any time. Participants are able to leave a Breakout Room at any time and can rejoin their assigned Breakout Room at any time until the rooms are closed by the host.

  1. Click the Join button beside the Breakout Room you want to join.

    Use the Join and Leave buttons to move between Breakout Rooms.

  2. Click the Leave button beside the Breakout Room to return to the main meeting.

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Record in a Breakout Room

If you want to record the Breakout Room, you or another Zoom host will need to be present in the Breakout Room for the entirety of the recording. Recordings "follow" the user who is recording, therefore if you move to another Breakout Room or to the main meeting, the recording will capture that.

  1. Join the Breakout Room you want to record.

    Choose a Breakout Room to join.

  2. Click the Record button from the bottom toolbar.

    Click the Record button in the Zoom toolbar.

  3. Click the Pause button to temporarily stop recording to be resumed later.

    Click the Pause and/or stop buttons.

  4. Click the Stop button to end the recording.

    1. The recording will automatically download locally to your computer when the host ends the Zoom meeting.
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Close Breakout Rooms

  1. Click the Close All Rooms button.

    Note: This will give participants a notification that they have 60 seconds to leave the Breakout Room before automatically returned to the main session.

    Choose a Breakout Room to join.
    Click the Close Rooms button.
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