What Are Breakout Rooms, and How Do I Use Them in Teams?

Answer:

Breakout rooms are sub-meeting spaces within Microsoft Teams meetings that allow smaller groups to collaborate privately.

How to Create Breakout Rooms:

1. Start a meeting and click the Breakout Rooms icon in the meeting toolbar.
2. Choose the number of breakout rooms to create.
3. Assign participants automatically (Teams will distribute them evenly) or manually (you select who goes into which room).
4. Click Create Rooms to finalize.

Managing Breakout Rooms:

• Open/Close Rooms: Control when participants can enter and exit the breakout rooms.
• Join Rooms: The meeting organizer can join any breakout room to monitor discussions.
• Broadcast Messages: Send announcements to all breakout rooms simultaneously.

Tips:

• Use the timer feature to end breakout sessions automatically.
• Ensure participants know how to return to the main meeting after the breakout session.