Google Meet breakout rooms let a host split one call into as many as 100 smaller rooms, started from a computer, and they're included in Business Standard and above but not in Business Starter. You can set them up in advance in Google Calendar, or live in the meeting from Meeting tools, then Breakout rooms.
Before your first session, know the three things that catch hosts out. Breakout rooms aren't recorded or live streamed. If Host Management was off when you opened the rooms, its locks are missing for that whole session unless you close the rooms and start again. And if you invited a Google Group, nobody from it lands in the right room. Here's the runbook I'd follow, as of October 2026.
Breakout room limits at a glance
| Setting | What Google allows |
|---|---|
| Rooms per call | Up to 100 |
| Hosts | One host by default, plus up to 25 co-hosts added in the meeting |
| Who starts the rooms | A host, on a computer |
| Recorded or live streamed | No |
| Countdown when rooms close | 30 seconds |
| Pre-assign rooms | In Google Calendar, but not for Meet Hardware |
| Not available in | Business Starter |
If you're running a workshop, the 25 co-hosts matter more than the 100 rooms. One host can't keep an eye on a dozen groups at once, so add your co-hosts as soon as the meeting starts and share the load.
Which Workspace plans include breakout rooms
Google's Meet help page lists breakout rooms on these editions:
- Essentials.
- Business Standard and Business Plus.
- Enterprise Starter, Essentials, Standard and Plus.
- Education Plus and the Teaching and Learning Upgrade.
- Nonprofits.
- Workspace Individual subscribers.
Business Starter is the one that's missing, and the Workspace pricing page agrees. If your team is on Starter and wants breakout rooms, Business Standard is the step up. If you're newer to Meet, my guide on how to use Google Meet covers the basics first.
Who can join a breakout room, and who can't
Participants can be moved into a room if they've joined from:
- A computer.
- The updated Meet or Gmail mobile app.
- Phone dial-in.
- Anonymously.
- Meet Hardware.
Third-party video conferencing devices and older versions of the mobile apps can't join a breakout room. If a client is dialling in from a conference room system that isn't Google's, or from an app they haven't updated in a year, sort that out before the session rather than in front of everyone.
Pre-assign rooms in Google Calendar
Setting rooms up in advance saves you dragging names around while the whole call watches. In Google Calendar:
- Open the event and add Google Meet video conferencing.
- Click Change conference settings, then Breakout rooms.
- Choose how many rooms you want.
- Drag names into rooms, type names in, or click Shuffle.
- Click Save.
Two catches. Meet Hardware can't be pre-assigned, so a meeting room joining as one device has to be placed by hand on the day. And invite people individually, not as a Google Group. Group members aren't automatically available to distribute into rooms, which is how you end up with a room plan full of gaps five minutes before you start.
Open breakout rooms live in a meeting
- On a computer, click Meeting tools, then Breakout rooms.
- Pick the number of rooms.
- Click Shuffle, or drag people into the rooms you want them in.
- Set the optional timer if you want one. It comes with a 30-second countdown.
- Click Open rooms.
The Clear button removes people who've disconnected. Be careful if you reuse the same meeting link for a later session, because clearing then moves everyone to the main room and undoes your set-up.
The Host Management trap
This one catches hosts who switch controls on halfway through. If you create rooms with Host Management off, you can't turn it on later for those rooms. The fix is to end the rooms, switch Host Management on, then open them again.
Get the order right and it works in your favour. If Host Management is on before the rooms open, your locks on Chat, Present, Video and Audio apply to every room. For a training session where you don't want people screen sharing in their groups, set the locks first, then open the rooms.
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Schools can go a step further. Admins can reserve Meet creation privileges for faculty or staff, which stops students creating rooms of their own.
While the rooms are running
- Participants can click Ask for help. You'll see a banner with the choice to Join or Later.
- When you close the rooms, people get 30 seconds before they return to the main room, so warn them before you press close.
- As a host, you won't see chat sent in a room before you joined it or after you left. If a group's decisions matter, ask someone in each room to write them down.
- Rooms can't be recorded, so the group work won't be on your recording of the call. Plan a report-back in the main room if you need it captured.
If your sessions keep stopping early, it's worth reading how the Google Meet time limit works before your next workshop.
My verdict on breakout rooms
I'd use breakout rooms for any workshop or team session where you want people talking rather than watching. Pre-assign in Calendar when you know the guest list, invite everyone individually, and switch Host Management on before you open a single room. Skip them if you're on Business Starter and only run the odd group call, because upgrading for this one feature rarely pays its way unless you train people every week.
If you run training or workshops on Meet, the format matters far more than the buttons. I run AI training and workshops for teams, and help businesses with AI enablement, AI automation and GEO, which is about getting your business seen and cited in AI answers. Most of that work is with SaaS marketing teams, telecom companies and small businesses. Here's how we can work together.
Frequently asked questions
How many breakout rooms can you have in Google Meet?
Up to 100 breakout rooms per call, as of October 2026. There's one host by default, and up to 25 co-hosts can be added in the meeting.
Does Business Starter have Google Meet breakout rooms?
No. Breakout rooms aren't included in Business Starter. They're in Business Standard, Business Plus, the Enterprise editions and several others.
Are Google Meet breakout rooms recorded?
No. Breakout rooms can't be recorded or live streamed.
Can you set up breakout rooms before a Google Meet call?
Yes. In Google Calendar, add Google Meet, click Change conference settings, then Breakout rooms, set up your rooms and click Save. Meet Hardware can't be pre-assigned.
Why can't I put Google Group members into breakout rooms?
Group members aren't automatically available to distribute into rooms. Invite people individually instead.
