What are Google Meet Breakout Rooms?
Google Meet Breakout Rooms are a feature within Google Meet that allows meeting organizers to divide participants into smaller groups during a video call. This feature is particularly useful for workshops, classrooms, team brainstorming sessions, or any large meetings where smaller group discussions are needed. Breakout rooms can be created during a live meeting and participants can be moved freely among rooms by the meeting organizer.
What are the Best Ways to Use Google Meet Breakout Rooms?
Collaborative Workshops
Breakout rooms are ideal for workshops where participants need to work in small groups to discuss or complete tasks. They provide a space for more focused interactions and discussions, facilitating deeper engagement and allowing for detailed feedback from facilitators.
Training Sessions
In training sessions, breakout rooms can be used to give attendees hands-on experience through exercises or role-playing. This method is effective in reinforcing learning as it allows participants to apply knowledge in a practical setting, enhancing retention.
Team Building
For remote teams, breakout rooms offer a great way to engage in team-building activities that require small group interaction. They help strengthen relationships and improve communication among team members in a virtual environment.
How to Use Google Meet Breakout Rooms
Step 1: Start a Meeting
Begin by starting a Google Meet call as usual. A meeting host must start breakout rooms from a browser on a computer; they cannot be created from the mobile app.
Step 2: Open Breakout Rooms
Once the meeting is underway, click on the Activities icon, shaped like a triangle, circle, and square at the bottom right of the screen, and select "Breakout rooms." You can create up to 100 rooms, use Shuffle to distribute participants randomly, or drag and drop names between rooms.
Step 3: Manage the Rooms
After setting up the rooms, start them by clicking “Open rooms.” You can then move between rooms to monitor discussions or to provide guidance. When the group activities are complete, you can bring everyone back to the main meeting by closing the breakout rooms.
Can I Record my Google Meet Breakout Rooms?
Yes, you can record breakout room sessions in Google Meet. However, only the main room can be recorded automatically, and Meet's native recording requires an eligible paid Workspace edition, such as Business Standard or higher; it is unavailable on free accounts.
To record activities in breakout rooms, a participant in each breakout room must manually start the recording, assuming they have the necessary permissions as dictated by their Google Workspace settings.
This can result in a lot of separate recordings which are easy to lose track of. Instead, try using a meeting recording tool like Claap that lets anyone record a Google Meet even if they’re not the host.
Why Can’t I Access Google Meet Breakout Rooms?
If you're experiencing issues accessing breakout rooms in Google Meet, consider the following:
- Permissions: A meeting host must start breakout rooms from a browser on a computer. They cannot be created from the mobile app.
- Google Workspace Edition: As of August 31, 2026, breakout rooms are available on Essentials, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Starter, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, Teaching and Learning Upgrade, Nonprofits, and Workspace Individual. They are unavailable on Business Starter and free personal accounts.
- App Version: Ensure that you are using the most up-to-date version of Google Meet, as older versions may not support breakout rooms.
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