🧩 Enabling and Using Zoom Breakout Rooms

Tags zoom breakout

🔐 Step 1: Log in to the Zoom Web Portal

  1. Go to https://zoom.us

  2. Click "Sign in with Google"

  3. Use your @cua.edu email account to log in

🔎 This will take you to your Zoom account’s main dashboard where settings and scheduling tools are available.

⚙️ Step 2: Enable Breakout Rooms in Settings

  1. Once signed in, navigate to the left-hand menu and click Settings

  2. Select the Meeting tab at the top (if not already selected)

  3. Scroll down or use CTRL + F to find "Breakout Room" under the In Meeting (Advanced) section

  4. Toggle the switch to ON

    • Optional: Check the box that says “Allow host to assign participants to breakout rooms when scheduling” if you’d like to pre-assign students before a session begins.

✅ Once enabled, this feature becomes available in your Zoom desktop application.

💻 Step 3: Access Advanced Zoom Features from the Desktop App

After enabling Breakout Rooms in the web portal:

  1. Open the Zoom Desktop App on your CatholicU-issued or personal device

  2. Click your profile icon (top right corner)

  3. Select “View Advanced Features” – this will open the web portal where you can double-check that Breakout Rooms are enabled

🧑‍🏫 Step 4: Using Breakout Rooms in a Live Meeting

When hosting a Zoom meeting:

  • Click the Breakout Rooms icon in the Zoom toolbar

  • Choose how you’d like to assign participants:

    • Automatically (random distribution)

    • Manually (you select who goes where)

    • Let participants choose room (if enabled in settings)

  • You can create up to 50 breakout rooms depending on your meeting size

🗂️ Pre-Assigning Participants?
If you’ve invited students ahead of time and enabled the pre-assign option:

  • Go to Meetings > Schedule a Meeting

  • Scroll to the bottom and click Show next to “Options”

  • Select Breakout Room pre-assign and either create rooms manually or upload a CSV file

  • Only participants logged into Zoom with their @cua.edu email can be automatically placed into assigned rooms.

📚 Additional Resources

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