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In Microsoft Teams, organizers can create breakout rooms before a meeting from its sent calendar invitation or during a meeting from the meeting controls. Choose up to 50 rooms, select an assignment method, and save or create the rooms. Room management is a desktop workflow; participants can join from supported desktop, web, or mobile clients.
Before you start
- Use the Teams desktop app to organize breakout rooms.
- The organizer can create rooms. A presenter in the organizer’s organization can manage rooms if appointed as a breakout-room manager.
- Breakout rooms must be allowed by your organization’s meeting policy.
- Send meeting invitations before setting up rooms in advance.
- Teams supports breakout-room meetings with up to 1,000 people and up to 50 rooms.
Create breakout rooms before the meeting
- Schedule the meeting and send invitations.
- In Teams Calendar, select the meeting and choose View event > More options > Breakout rooms.
- Select Create rooms, choose the number of rooms (up to 50), and select Add rooms.
- Select Assign participants and choose an available assignment method.
- Select Next, review room settings if needed, and select Save.
Only the organizer can pre-assign participants. Pre-assignment has eligibility limits: participants using Teams Free cannot be assigned, and pre-assignment is unavailable when a meeting has more than 1,000 invitees. Pre-created rooms expire after 60 days.
Create breakout rooms during a meeting
- Join the meeting in the Teams desktop app.
- Select Rooms in the meeting controls.
- Choose the number of rooms and how to assign participants.
- Select Create rooms.
To add a room later, select Rooms > Add room. You can assign people manually or shuffle them after rooms have been created; automatic assignment is not available later in the same way as during initial room creation.
Choose how to assign participants
| Method | How it works | Useful when |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic | Teams distributes participants among rooms. | You want a quick division of attendees. |
| Manual | You choose which room each participant joins. | Group composition matters or you have a planned roster. |
| Shuffle | Teams randomly redistributes everyone or only unassigned people. | You want a fresh mix of participants. |
| CSV import | Room names and participant email addresses are used to organize assignments. | You have a larger, structured assignment list. |
Assign people manually before the meeting
- Open the meeting in Calendar and select View event > More options > Breakout rooms.
- Select Assign participants and choose manual assignment.
- Select Next.
- For each eligible participant, select their current room or Unassigned, then choose the intended room.
- Select Save.
Assign or shuffle people during the meeting
- Select Rooms in the meeting controls.
- Select Assign participants.
- Assign participants individually or select Shuffle.
- If shuffling, choose everyone or only unassigned people.
- Save your changes.
Participants signed in with Teams Free cannot be assigned to rooms. Late arrivals or participants on unsupported devices may not move automatically; assign or move them from the room panel when available.
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Set room movement and time limits
Open Rooms settings before or during the meeting to configure available room options. With automatic movement enabled, assigned participants enter rooms when they open. When it is disabled, participants are prompted to join. You can also set a time limit; when it expires, rooms close and participants return to the main meeting. With automatic movement turned off, participants receive a choice when the time limit expires.
Appoint breakout-room managers
You can select up to 10 invited presenters from the organizer’s organization to manage rooms. Enable the presenter-management option in Rooms settings and select the presenters. Only one manager controls the rooms at a time.
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Open and close rooms
- Select Rooms in the meeting controls.
- Select Open rooms to open the rooms, or use an individual room’s menu to open just that room.
- To finish, select Close rooms, or close a room from its menu.
Closing rooms returns participants to the main meeting. If a pre-assigned participant joins after rooms have opened and is not moved automatically, assign them from the room panel.
Rename rooms and send announcements
Use the room’s options menu to rename it. To message all rooms, select Make an announcement, enter the message, and send it. Microsoft says the announcement appears in each room’s chat marked IMPORTANT.
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Common limitations
- Teams Free participants cannot be assigned to breakout rooms.
- You cannot add or assign participants to a room from the participant panel, add additional people to the meeting chat, or copy room join information.
- Pre-assignment is limited to eligible invitees or people assigned in prior sessions, and is unavailable for meetings with more than 1,000 invitees.
- Rooms that were prepared in advance expire after 60 days.
FAQ
How do I create Teams breakout rooms?
Before a meeting, send invitations, open the meeting from Calendar, and choose View event > More options > Breakout rooms. During a meeting, select Rooms, choose the room count and assignment method, then select Create rooms.
Can I assign participants automatically or manually?
Yes. Automatic assignment distributes participants among rooms; manual assignment lets you choose their rooms. You can also shuffle participants or import a structured assignment using CSV.
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How many breakout rooms can a Teams meeting have?
Teams supports up to 50 breakout rooms. Microsoft’s current guidance supports breakout-room meetings with up to 1,000 people.
Can I pre-assign everyone who was invited?
No. Pre-assignment has eligibility limits. Teams Free participants cannot be assigned, and pre-assignment is unavailable when the meeting has more than 1,000 invitees.
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Why did a late participant stay in the main meeting?
A pre-assigned participant who joins after rooms have opened may not be moved automatically. Assign them from the room panel when available; unsupported devices may also prevent automatic movement.
What happens when a room time limit expires?
The rooms close and participants return to the main meeting. If automatic movement is disabled, participants receive a choice when the time limit expires.
For a reliable setup, create rooms from the Teams desktop app, send invitations before pre-meeting setup, and choose automatic, manual, shuffle, or CSV assignment to suit your group. Check participant eligibility and room settings before opening the rooms.
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