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Microsoft Teams introduces Virtual Breakout Rooms

From Mid -December you'll be able to add a Breakout Room to your meeting or lecture for a new collaboration experience

What is happening

Virtual Breakout Rooms are a new feature for Microsoft Teams that will be introduced from Mid-December.

What is changing

When you create a meeting, you will now have the option to separate your meeting attendees into smaller groups, away from the main meeting.

This is great for brain-storming sessions or really useful for group work if you are teaching.

As an organiser you can easily move between break-out groups, just as you would move round a meeting room or teaching space.

How to prepare for this change

Visit the Breakout Rooms Learning Pathway (step by step guidance from Microsoft, on our University of Bath - Learning Pathways site) to discover how to create and manage a Breakout Room for your next meeting or class.

University of Bath - Learning Pathways is our online, interactive learning platform where you can learn all about Microsoft 365 tools and features. It’s filled with easy to use ‘how-to’ guides, hints and tips to help you get the most from your Microsoft tools.

Key benefits

Virtual Breakout Rooms are a great new feature, here's why:


A group of students discussing ideas.
  • As a meeting organiser, you can manage Breakout Rooms and move freely between them
  • Give each Breakout Room a title to match your meeting
  • Create up to fifty Breakout Rooms per meeting
  • You decide which participants get moved to each room. They just select 'confirm' to move
  • If you send an announcement it will show up in each Breakout Room, so no need to say things twice!