TC Technology Knowledge Base

Let Zoom meeting participants choose their Breakout room

Updated on

As a host, you can allow participants to select the breakout room that they would like to attend.

NOTE: This feature requires both you and the participants to run version 5.3.0 or higher.

1. Once your Zoom meeting has started, click Breakout Rooms.

If you don't see the Breakout Rooms on your menu bar, you'll need to turn on that feature in your Zoom settings.

Zoom Meeting

2. Select the number of breakout rooms you would like, select Let participants choose room, and click Create.

Breakout Rooms

3. When you are ready to start the Breakout rooms, click Open all Rooms.

Breakout Rooms - Not Started

4. A list of all your students and the breakout rooms will appear.

Breakout Rooms - In Progress

5. Your participants will receive a message prompting them to join a breakout room. They will be able to select the room they want to join. (Instructions to share with participants for selecting a breakout room)

Refer to Choose your breakout room in a Zoom meeting for instructions on how to select and join a Breakout room.

6. As your participants select rooms, you will see their names appear under the name of each room.

Breakout Rooms - In Progress

When participants are in self-selected breakout rooms, they can leave those rooms and join another room without the assistance of the Host.

7. As the Host, you can also join a room.

7.1. Hover your mouse over the blue number to the right of the room name.

Breakout Rooms - In Progress

7.2. The number will turn to a blue Join button.

Breakout Rooms - In Progress

7.3. Click the Join button and select Yes.

7.4. To leave the breakout room, click Leave Room in the lower right corner.

You can tell which breakout room you are in by looking at the top of the Zoom window.

Zoom - Group 1

7.5. Click Leave Breakout Room.

8. When you are ready to end the Breakout Rooms, click Close All Rooms.

Breakout Rooms - In Progress

9. Participants will get a message that the breakout rooms are closing in 60 seconds.

10. Zoom will remember the rooms the participants were in when the breakout rooms closed. When you Open All Rooms, they will automatically be put in the last breakout room they were in.

Breakout Rooms - Not Started
Previous Article Adjust Zoom account settings to allow for Breakout rooms
Next Article Choose your Breakout room in a Zoom meeting