Are you gearing up for your next Zoom meeting? If you’ve been curious about breakout rooms you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about Zoom and joining breakout rooms. By the end of this article you will know how to self-select a breakout room, how to join a preassigned breakout room, and troubleshooting tips in case you run into any blockers when joining your next breakout room. 

What is a Zoom breakout room?

Breakout rooms are sessions or micro meetings that break off from the overarching Zoom meeting that allow participants to meet in smaller groups. These groups are completely isolated from one another and have their own audio and video. While Zoom meetings are excellent resources that can be used to discuss topics at a high-level, breakout rooms allow participants to get granular and host more intimate conversations. 

Prerequisites to joining a breakout room in Zoom

In order to join a breakout room on Zoom you must be invited by the meeting hoist, co-host, or facilitator. Users that join the initial Zoom meeting from the Zoom Desktop Client, Zoom Mobile App, or H.323/SIP devices can participate in breakout rooms however users that join via the web client, Chromebooks/Chrome OS or Zoom Rooms are unable to join Breakout Rooms. In this scenario, the main meeting space can be used as an alternative for these users.

As a participant in a Zoom breakout room, you have many of the same capabilities that you would have during the overarching meeting. These capabilities include and extend to: 

• Self-selecting your breakout room: If the meeting host or co-host enables this feature, you will have the ability to choose which breakout room you would like to choose. This means you will have the ability to move freely between breakout rooms and can choose to attend the breakout room you’re most excited about. Alternatively, the meeting host or co-host may choose to pre-assign participants prior to the meeting. 
• Screen sharing: Zoom makes it possible for you to share your screen in breakout rooms the same way you would in a regular meeting however, the breakout room host or co-hot must enable participants to share their screens in breakout rooms. 
• In-meeting chat: Similar to the way in which you would chat in a regular meeting, you also have the ability to chat with other meeting participants with the Zoom chat feature during breakout rooms. You can leverage this feature to check-in with other participants, ask questions, share links or external resources, or brainstorm ideas. 
• Asking the host for help: Contrary to regular Zoom meetings, this feature is unique to breakout rooms and exists in case you need a helping hand. This feature can be used if you need to get a hold of your host during the breakout session. The meeting host or co-host will be notified and can respond immediately or send a message to participants via the chat feature to inform them that they will be in touch shortly. 

How do I self-select a breakout room? 

If the host has allowed participants to self-select and join breakout rooms, you will be able to browse breakout room options and choose whichever one speaks to you. You will then be able to enter and leave breakout rooms as you please. It’s important to note that if you attempt to join with the desktop or mobile app that is not version 5.3.0 or higher, you will not be able to self-select a breakout room. The meeting host or co-host will instead have to place you in a breakout room manually. 

To join a breakout room on Zoom simply: 

1. Select Breakout Rooms in your meeting controls. 
2. Select Expand All to view available rooms and what participants have already joined each breakout room. 
3. Hover your mouse over the breakout room you wish to join, select Join, and confirm by selecting Join. 
4. Repeat as necessary to join other breakout rooms and select Leave Room if you wish to return to the initial meeting. 

Why can’t I join a breakout room on Zoom? 

If you aren’t able to join breakout rooms on Zoom, it may be because it has been locked at the group or account level. If you select the Meeting Tab under Meeting in (Advanced) and aren’t able to select the Breakout Room Toggle you may need to reach out to the meeting host or facilitator for assistance. You will not be able to join a breakout room if you are using Zoom from a web browser.

What happens if I miss or close my invitation to join a breakout room on Zoom? 

Missing or closing your invitation isn’t the be all and end all. Luckily, the Breakout Session icon will remain active as long as the breakout session is in use. This means you can join the breakout session at any time, even if you mistakenly miss or close your invitation. 

Congratulations, you’re ready to join your next breakout room! 

Joining your first breakout room can feel overwhelming, especially if you haven’t done it before. Luckily, you have all the tips, tricks, and resources at your disposal to move forward with confidence. Whether you’re self-selecting the breakout room of your choice or entering a preassigned breakout room, this article details everything you need to know to join your next breakout room with ease.

‍