You can now create Google Meet breakout rooms in advance from Calendar

Google has added the ability for Workspace customers to set up Meet breakout rooms in advance on Calendar, making it easier for teachers and meeting facilitators to prepare for differentiated learning and avoid losing valuable time setting up breakout rooms during the call.

This feature was announced at Learning with Google in February 2021.

How to create breakout rooms in advance on Google Calendar?

To set up breakout rooms ahead of time in Google Calendar, follow these steps:

For a new meeting

• Head over to calendar.google.com and create a new Google Calendar event
• Click Add Google Meet video conferencing
• Add meeting participants
• Click Change conference settings > Breakout rooms
• Choose the number of breakout rooms
• Select an option - Drag participants into different rooms / Enter names directly into a room / Click Shuffle to mix the groups
• Save settings

Gif Credit: Google

For existing meeting

• Open the event > Edit event > Event Details > Change conference settings
• Click Breakout rooms
• Select the number of breakout rooms
• Choose an option - Drag participants into different rooms / Enter names directly into a room / Click Shuffle to mix the groups
• Save changes

The new feature is gradually rolling out to Rapid Release domains while Scheduled Release domains will receive it gradually starting March 22, 2021. It is available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Nonprofits and Education Plus as well as G Suite Business customers, Teaching and Learning upgrade (launching in April).

Google Workspace Business Starter and Education Fundamentals, as well as G Suite Basic customers, will not get this feature.