Enabling or disabling meeting breakout rooms

Account owners and admins can enable or disable meeting breakout rooms for users on the account. Breakout rooms allow hosts to split their Zoom meeting in up to 100 separate sessions. The meeting host can split the participants of the meeting into these separate sessions automatically or manually, or they can allow participants to select and enter breakout sessions as they please. The host can switch between sessions at any time.

Webinar hosts can also use breakout rooms. Learn how to enable or disable webinar breakout rooms.

Requirements for enabling or disabling meeting breakout rooms

• Account owner or admin privileges to modify settings at the account or group level

Limitations for enabling meeting breakout rooms

Before using breakout rooms, see the limitations of breakout rooms.

How to enable or disable meeting breakout rooms and breakout room options

Account

To enable or disable meeting breakout rooms for all users in the account:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with the privilege to edit account settings.
2. In the navigation menu, click Account Management then Account Settings.
3. Click the Meeting tab.
4. Under In Meeting (Advanced), click the Breakout room - Meetings toggle to enable or disable it.
5. If a verification dialog appears, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
6. (Optional) Select or clear the check boxes for the following breakout room options, then click Save:
   • Assign participants to breakout rooms when scheduling
   • Broadcast message to participants: This allows the host to broadcast a text-based message to all participants in breakout rooms.
   • Broadcast voice to breakout rooms: This allows the host to broadcast their microphone audio to all participants in breakout rooms.
   • Create, rename, and delete breakout rooms when rooms are open.
     Note: This feature must be enabled by Zoom.
   • Allow host to view activity statuses of participants in breakout rooms (for example: share screen, raise hand reaction): This allows hosts and co-hosts to quickly view participants' audio and video status, if they are sharing their screen, and if they are using the raise hand reaction. This feature does not apply to participants joining on certain devices such as phone, H.323, and SIP.
   • Set default breakout room behaviors: After selecting the check box, click Edit Options to apply any of the following options to all meetings that have breakout rooms, then click Continue. Note: This feature is only available with version 6.0.10 or later.
     
     • Allow participants to choose room
     • Allow participants to return to the main session at any time
     • Automatically move all assigned participants into breakout rooms
     • Automatically move all selected participants in breakout rooms to main session
     • Auto close breakout rooms after [number] minutes
     • Countdown after closing breakout room
7. (Optional) To prevent all users in your account from changing this setting, click the lock icon , and then click Lock to confirm the setting.

Group

To enable or disable meeting breakout rooms for a group of users:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with the privilege to edit groups.
2. In the navigation menu, click User Management then Groups.
3. Click the applicable group name from the list.
4. Click the Meeting tab.
5. Under In Meeting (Advanced), click the Breakout room - Meetings toggle to enable or disable it.
6. If a verification dialog appears, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
   Note: If the option is grayed out, it has been locked at the account level and needs to be changed at that level.
7. (Optional) Select or clear the check boxes for the following breakout room options, then click Save:
   • Assign participants to breakout rooms when scheduling
   • Broadcast message to participants: This allows the host to broadcast a text-based message to all participants in breakout rooms.
   • Broadcast voice to breakout rooms: This allows the host to broadcast their microphone audio to all participants in breakout rooms.
   • Create, rename, and delete breakout rooms when rooms are open.
     Note: This feature must be enabled by Zoom.
   • Allow host to view activity statuses of participants in breakout rooms (for example: share screen, raise hand reaction): This allows hosts and co-hosts to quickly view participants' audio and video status, if they are sharing their screen, and if they are using the raise hand reaction. This feature does not apply to participants joining on certain devices such as phone, H.323, and SIP.
   • Set default breakout room behaviors: After selecting the check box, click Edit Options to apply any of the following options to all meetings that have breakout rooms, then click Continue. Note: This feature is only available with version 6.0.10 or later.
     
     • Allow participants to choose room
     • Allow participants to return to the main session at any time
     • Automatically move all assigned participants into breakout rooms
     • Automatically move all selected participants in breakout rooms to main session
     • Auto close breakout rooms after [number] minutes
     • Countdown after closing breakout room
8. (Optional) To prevent all users in the group from changing this setting, click the lock icon , and then click Lock to confirm the setting.

User

To enable or disable meeting breakout rooms for your own use:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click Settings.
3. Click the Meeting tab.
4. Under In Meeting (Advanced), click the Breakout room - Meetings toggle to enable or disable it.
5. If a verification dialog appears, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
   Note: If the option is grayed out, it has been locked at either the group or account level. You need to contact your Zoom admin.
6. (Optional) Select or clear the check boxes for the following breakout room options, then click Save:
   • Assign participants to breakout rooms when scheduling
   • Broadcast message to participants: This allows the host to broadcast a text-based message to all participants in breakout rooms.
   • Broadcast voice to breakout rooms: This allows the host to broadcast their microphone audio to all participants in breakout rooms.
   • Allow host to view activity statuses of participants in breakout rooms (for example: share screen, raise hand reaction): This allows hosts and co-hosts to quickly view participants' audio and video status, if they are sharing their screen, and if they are using the raise hand reaction. This feature does not apply to participants joining on certain devices such as phone, H.323, and SIP.
   • Set default breakout room behaviors: After selecting the check box, click Edit Options to apply any of the following options to all meetings that have breakout rooms, then click Continue. Note: This feature is only available with version 6.0.10 or later.
     
     • Allow participants to choose room
     • Allow participants to return to the main session at any time
     • Automatically move all assigned participants into breakout rooms
     • Automatically move all selected participants in breakout rooms to main session
     • Auto close breakout rooms after [number] minutes
     • Countdown after closing breakout room

How to use meeting breakout rooms

After enabling breakout rooms for meetings, users can do the following:

• Hosts and co-hosts:
  • Manage meeting breakout rooms
  • Sharing screen and broadcasting to meeting breakout rooms
  • Pre-assign participants to meeting breakout rooms
  • Create meeting breakout rooms from poll results
• Participants:
  • Participate in meeting breakout rooms