Webex Meetings: Breakout Sessions

Question

How do I set up Webex Meetings Breakout Sessions?

Answer

Meeting hosts and/or co-hosts can use the meeting's breakout session menu to create intimate collaboration groups.  Breakout Sessions allow you to create smaller groups for discussions or activities during your virtual class sessions or meetings.  

 

Table of Contents

Enable and Create Breakout Sessions 

Manage Breakout Sessions

Join a Breakout Session

Limitations 

 

Enable and Create Breakout Sessions

Hosts/Co-hosts can create the breakout sessions, assign participants, and start the sessions.  The maximum number of breakout sessions that you can create is 100. You will need to enable Breakout Sessions for each meeting.

  1. Select Breakout Sessions in the tool bar at the top of the meeting window. If Breakout Sessions is not shown, select Show Menu Bar.

 

webex meeting menu with the "breakout sessions" menu highlighted

 

  1. Select Enable Breakout Sessions.

 

  1. Configure breakout session settings.

    1. Choose the number of sessions to split meeting participants into.

    2. Select how to assign each participant into the sessions.

      • Assign participants automatically randomly assigns participants to a session.

      • Assign participants manually allows the host/co-host to assign meeting participants to chosen sessions.

      • Let participants choose any session permits participants to chose which session to join.

 

  1.  Select Create Assignments. 

webex meeting menu with the "breakout sessions" settings pop up window showing. the "create assignment" button is highlighted

 

A pop-up window will appear that allows the host/co-host to manage both the meeting participants and the sessions before beginning the breakout sessions.

 

Participants & Sessions

Participants that are not yet assigned to a breakout session will appear on the left (highlighted in red). A collapsible list of sessions appears on the right (highlighted in green).

webex meeting menu with the "breakout sessions" management pop up window showing.

 

To add additional sessions, select + Add Session.

webex meeting menu with the "breakout sessions" settings pop up window showing. the "+ add session" button is highlighted

 

Settings

Hosts can adjust the settings of the breakout sessions by selecting the Settings icon. Hosts can configure how participants join and exit the sessions.

webex meeting menu with the "breakout sessions" settings pop up window showing. the settings icon is highlighted

 

Hosts/co-hosts can adjust the settings configured in Step 3 by selecting the Reset icon.

webex meeting menu with the "breakout sessions" management pop up window showing. the reset icon is highlighted

 

Manage Breakout Sessions

  1. To start breakout sessions in your meeting, select Start breakout sessions.

webex meeting menu with the "breakout sessions" settings pop up window showing. the "start breakout sessions" button is highlighted

 

Broadcast Messages

Hosts can send broadcast messages to all or selected participants/sessions. To send out a broadcast message:

  1. Select Broadcast in the Breakout session assignments pop-up window.

 

  1. Select which session(s) to send the message to.

 

  1. Compare the message. Select Send when complete.

"breakout sessions assignments" pop up window showing with the pop-up windows to configure broadcast messages

 

Rename Sessions

Hosts/Co-hosts can rename a session. To rename a session,

  1. Select More right of the appropriate session. 

"breakout sessions assignments" pop up window showing with the "more" link highlighted for a breakout session

 

  1. Select Rename Session. Rename the session and select Save.

 

Join a Breakout Session

To join a session:

  1. Select Join for the appropriate breakout session.

"breakout sessions assignments" pop up window showing with the "jon" link highlighted for a breakout session

 

The host/co-host will enter the selected breakout session where they can interact with the other participants.

 

  1. To exit the breakout session, select the leave icon in the Webex meeting controls. Select Leave Session in the pop up window.

webex breakout session with the leave icon and leave session button highlighted

 

Hosts/co-hosts can recall participants from their breakout session back into the main meeting area. To recall participants,

  1. Select End all breakout sessions.

"breakout sessions assignments" pop up window showing with the "end all breakout sessions" button highlighted for a breakout session

 

 

Limitations

The following features aren’t currently supported while participating in a breakout session (will be addressed in a following release):

  • Recording breakout sessions
  • High frame rate content sharing ("Optimize for motion and video")
  • Sharing web browser
  • Sharing multimedia
  • Remote control
  • Live streaming
  • Polling
  • Saving chat
  • Users who join from the Webex Meeting web app can’t share content

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