Using Breakout Rooms in Microsoft Teams

Breakout rooms let you split a large meeting into smaller groups for focused discussions, then bring everyone back together. They are perfect for workshops, training sessions, and collaborative meetings.

Requirements

You must be the meeting organiser to create breakout rooms
Works in scheduled meetings and Meet Now sessions
Attendees can be on desktop, mobile, or web

Creating Breakout Rooms

Before the Meeting

Open the meeting in your Teams calendar
Click Breakout rooms tab
Click Create rooms
Choose the number of rooms (up to 50)
Choose assignment method:

- Automatically — Teams divides attendees evenly - Manually — You assign specific people to rooms

During the Meeting

Click the Breakout rooms icon in the meeting toolbar (looks like squares separating)
Click Create rooms
Select number of rooms
Choose automatic or manual assignment
Click Create

Assigning Participants

Automatic Assignment

Teams randomly and evenly distributes participants across rooms. Good for:

Random group activities
Networking sessions
When group composition does not matter

Manual Assignment

Click on a room name
Click Assign participants
Check the boxes next to attendee names
Click Assign
Repeat for other rooms

Tip: You can move people between rooms even after initial assignment.

Managing Breakout Rooms

Starting Rooms

Click Open rooms to start all rooms simultaneously
Or click a specific room and select Open room to start one at a time

Closing Rooms

Click Close rooms to end all breakout sessions
Participants return to the main meeting automatically
You can set a countdown timer so people know when rooms will close

Setting a Time Limit

Click the settings gear icon in Breakout rooms panel
Toggle Set a time limit
Enter the duration
Rooms will automatically close when time expires

Room Announcements

Send a message to all breakout rooms simultaneously:

Click the three dots menu on the Breakout rooms panel
Click Make an announcement
Type your message
Click Send

Everyone in all rooms will see the announcement.

Joining a Breakout Room

As the Organiser

You can jump between rooms to check on progress:

Click on a room name
Click Join room
To leave and join another, click Return then join a different room

As a Participant

When the organiser opens rooms:

You will see a notification to join your assigned room
Click Join room
You are now in the smaller group session

Breakout Room Features

Chat in Breakout Rooms

Each breakout room has its own chat. Messages stay in that room and are not shared with other rooms or the main meeting.

Participants Can Request Help

If participants need assistance:

They click Ask for help in their room
You receive a notification
You can join their room to help

Share Content

Participants can share screens within their breakout room. Only people in that room see the shared content.

Rename Rooms

Give rooms meaningful names:

Click the three dots next to a room name
Click Rename room
Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Marketing Team" or "Project Alpha")

Best Practices

Brief Participants First

Before opening rooms:

Explain the activity or discussion topic
Tell them how long they have
Explain how to ask for help

Check In Periodically

Pop into different rooms to:

Answer questions
Keep discussions on track
Provide guidance

Give Transition Time

When closing rooms, set a countdown so people can wrap up conversations.

Debrief in Main Meeting

After closing rooms, bring insights back to the main group.

Common Uses

Training Sessions

Break into small groups for practice exercises
Discuss case studies
Role-playing activities

Workshops

Brainstorming sessions
Problem-solving in teams
Project planning

All-Hands Meetings

Department breakouts
Topic-specific discussions
Q&A sessions with leadership

Networking Events

Random small group conversations
Speed networking
Interest-based groups

Troubleshooting

Participant Cannot Join Room

Ensure they are using an updated Teams client
Try closing and reopening the room
They may need to leave and rejoin the main meeting

Rooms Not Appearing

Only the meeting organiser can create breakout rooms
Co-organisers cannot create rooms (as of current Teams version)

Audio Issues in Breakout Room

Standard audio troubleshooting applies
Check microphone and speaker settings
Try leaving and rejoining the room

Need Help?

For assistance with Teams breakout rooms or meeting setup, contact helpdesk@netlumait.com.au or call 1300 521 162.