Breakout Rooms
Breakout rooms let a meeting host split a webinar or session-style video meeting into smaller discussion groups. As a participant, you do not choose your room — the host places you, and ema moves you automatically. This page covers what you see in the web app and the hey ema mobile app when that happens.
Inside a video meeting
Join a webinar or session-style video meeting from My Meetings or the mobile app. Breakout controls appear only when the host starts breakout rooms.
When the host starts breakout rooms, a Moving you… pill appears, followed by a Moved to <room name> toast once you arrive. A persistent pill shows the room name and how many people are in it. A countdown pill at the top of the screen shows time remaining, turning red with Rooms closing — in the final 30 seconds.
Being Moved to a Room
When the host starts breakout rooms:
- A Moving you… pill appears while ema switches you over.
- A Moved to <room name> toast confirms your arrival.
- A persistent pill shows your room name and occupant count, so you always know where you are.
You cannot pick a room yourself or switch rooms on your own — the host decides who goes where.
Time Remaining and Returning Early
A countdown pill at the top-center of the screen shows how long the breakout session has left. In the final 30 seconds it turns red and reads Rooms closing — so you have time to wrap up.
- When time expires, you are moved back to the main room automatically — nothing to click.
- To leave earlier, use Return to Main Room. You can do this at any time.
Asking the Host for Help
If you need the host while you are in a breakout room, use Ask for Help. A toast confirms your request was sent. There is a 30-second cooldown between requests, so if the button is briefly unavailable, wait a moment and try again.
Host Announcements
The host can broadcast announcements to all breakout rooms. These appear as a banner you can dismiss; it also clears on its own after about ten seconds.
Breakout rooms only exist in webinar and session-style video meetings, not in small-group calls. Room assignment is entirely host-driven — if you think you are in the wrong room, use Ask for Help rather than leaving the meeting.
Find and join your meetings from the meetings list. See My Meetings.
For how hosts create and manage breakout rooms, see the organizer guide to Breakout Rooms.