How-to

How to use breakout rooms in Zoom: create, assign, join, and record

Last reviewed: September 24, 2026By Cluesfinders Editorial Team

Breakout rooms split a Zoom session into smaller groups where people can actually talk, practice, and collaborate. This guide covers how to create breakout rooms in Zoom step by step, the ways to assign people (including pre-assigning before the meeting), how participants join, what gets recorded, and how to run them without losing the room.

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Three ways to assign breakout rooms, at a glance

	Automatically	Manually	Let participants choose
How it works	Zoom splits people evenly	You place each person	People pick their own room
Best for	Quick, random groups	Planned or balanced groups	Topic-based rooms
Setup time	Fastest	Slowest	Fast

Reflects Zoom as of September 2026.

First, enable breakout rooms

Breakout rooms have to be turned on for your account before they appear in a meeting. Sign in to the Zoom web portal, go to Settings, and under In Meeting (Advanced) switch on Breakout room. If the button is missing mid-meeting, this setting is almost always why.

How to set up breakout rooms in Zoom

In the meeting, click Breakout Rooms in the host toolbar.
Choose how many rooms you want.
Pick Assign automatically, Assign manually, or Let participants choose room.
Click Create, then adjust rooms if needed.
Click Open All Rooms to send people into their groups.

How to pre-assign breakout rooms before the meeting

If you already know the groups, you can set them up when you schedule. In the Zoom web portal, schedule the meeting, tick Breakout Room pre-assign under Options, then either create the rooms and add people by name or email, or import a CSV file with room names and email addresses.

Pre-assignment only sticks for people who join signed in to the Zoom account that matches the email you used. Anyone else can still be placed manually during the meeting. For recurring meetings, one set of assignments applies to every occurrence.

How to join a breakout room (as a participant)

When the host opens the rooms, you get an invitation — click Join.
If you clicked Later, use the Breakout Rooms button in your meeting controls to join when you are ready.
If the host lets participants choose, open Breakout Rooms, pick a room from the list, and join it; you can move between rooms freely.
Need the host? Click Ask for Help and they will be invited into your room.
To go back, click Leave Breakout Room and choose to return to the main session (not leave the whole meeting).

Cloud recording only captures the main session — none of the breakout rooms are recorded, even if the host is inside one. To record a breakout room, use local (computer) recording: the host has to allow specific participants to record locally, ideally before opening the rooms, and each recording only captures the room that person is in.

Inside a room, people have the same audio, video, and screen-share abilities they had in the main session. The host or a co-host can also share their screen from the main session into every open room at once, which interrupts any shares already running in the rooms.

While the rooms are open

Set a timer so rooms close automatically after a set time.
Broadcast a message to every room at once (for a prompt or a time warning).
Join any room to check in, then move between them.
Click Close All Rooms to bring everyone back — there is a short countdown before they return.

When breakout rooms help — and when they do not

Breakout rooms shine when you want people to discuss, practice a skill, or work through something together. In a small group, quieter participants speak up more.

They are less useful for short sessions or purely one-directional content. If the goal is just to broadcast information, breakouts interrupt more than they help.

Running breakouts without losing the room

Explain the task before you send people into rooms, not after, and give a clear signal — and a little warning — before bringing everyone back.

When groups return, a short debrief where a few share what they discussed makes the exercise feel worthwhile and ties it back to the goal.

Run workshops under your own brand

Breakout rooms make a session interactive; a branded room makes it look like yours. See how white-label virtual meeting rooms put your name on the whole experience.

Explore white-label virtual meeting rooms

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Frequently asked questions

How do I create breakout rooms in Zoom?

Click Breakout Rooms in the host toolbar, choose the number of rooms, pick how to assign people (automatically, manually, or let them choose), click Create, then Open All Rooms. Breakout rooms must be enabled in your Zoom settings first.

Can participants choose their own breakout room?

Yes. When you create the rooms, select Let participants choose room. Attendees then see the room list and can move themselves between rooms.

Why don’t I see the Breakout Rooms button?

Usually the feature is turned off for your account. Enable it in the Zoom web portal under Settings › In Meeting (Advanced) › Breakout room, then restart the meeting.

How do I join a breakout room in Zoom?

Click Join on the invitation when the host opens the rooms, or use the Breakout Rooms button in your meeting controls if you chose Later. If the host allows it, you can pick a room from the list yourself.

Can you pre-assign breakout rooms in Zoom?

Yes. When scheduling in the Zoom web portal, enable Breakout Room pre-assign and add people by email or import a CSV. It only applies to participants who join signed in with the matching Zoom account.

Can you record breakout rooms in Zoom?

Not with cloud recording, which only records the main session. The host can allow specific participants to record locally on their computer, and each local recording captures only the room that person is in.

Can you share your screen in a breakout room?

Yes, if screen sharing is allowed in the main session — participants keep the same share permissions inside their room. The host or co-host can also share one screen into all rooms at once.

How long should a breakout last?

Often five to fifteen minutes, depending on the task — long enough for a real conversation but short enough to keep energy up. Setting a timer helps groups pace themselves.