Breakout rooms in Microsoft Teams allow hosts to divide a large meeting into smaller groups for focused discussions. To create them, click the "Participants" icon during a meeting and select "Breakout rooms," then choose the number of rooms, assign participants automatically or manually, and optionally set a time limit. Participants receive a prompt to join, and the host can switch between rooms. For assignment, automatic distribution evenly places attendees, while manual allows drag-and-drop control for organizing by team, department, or topic. Hosts can also adjust assignments after rooms are created. Once running, hosts can broadcast messages, move between rooms, and close all rooms to return everyone to the main session. Only the organizer can manage breakout rooms, and returning participants may need reassignment. Mastering these tools improves meeting flow and organization.

Breakout rooms in Microsoft Teams are a great way to split a large meeting into smaller groups for discussions, brainstorming, or team activities. If you're hosting a meeting and want to give participants more focused interaction time, breakout rooms can be super helpful — as long as you know how to use them.

How to Create Breakout Rooms During a Teams Meeting

Once you're in a meeting and have the organizer role, creating breakout rooms is straightforward. Click on the "Participants" icon in the meeting controls, then select "Breakout rooms" from the dropdown menu.

From there:

• Choose how many rooms you want
• Decide whether to assign people automatically or manually
• Optionally, set a time limit for the breakout session

After you create the rooms, participants will get a prompt asking if they want to join. As the host, you can pop in and out of each room to check on progress or make announcements.

Assigning Participants: Auto vs Manual

Teams gives you two main options for assigning people to rooms: automatic and manual.

With automatic assignment, Teams spreads participants evenly across all breakout rooms. This is ideal when you don’t care about group composition or want to save time.

If you prefer more control, use manual assignment. This lets you drag and drop names into specific rooms. It’s useful when you want to keep teammates together, separate departments, or organize based on topics or skill levels.

A pro tip: If you start with auto and later realize you need more control, you can still move people around manually after the rooms are created.

Managing Breakout Rooms Once They’re Running

Once everyone's in their rooms, your job isn't done yet. You can:

• Broadcast a message to all rooms (great for time reminders)
• Move between rooms to listen in or participate
• Close all rooms to bring everyone back to the main meeting

One thing to note: participants can’t create or manage breakout rooms themselves. Only the organizer has full control. Also, if someone leaves the meeting and rejoins, they might not return to the same breakout room unless you reassign them.

If you're using breakout rooms often, it's worth getting comfortable with these tools so you can smoothly guide the flow of the session.

基本上就這些。Using breakout rooms takes just a few clicks once you're in the meeting, but knowing how to assign people and manage the flow makes a big difference in keeping things organized.

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