Breakout Rooms

breakoutzonesgroupsisolation

What Are Breakout Zones?

A Ripple can have breakout zones — defined areas on the canvas where participants are grouped for isolated conversations. When breakouts are active, you can only hear and see people in your same zone.

Think of it like separate tables at a networking event — each table has its own conversation.

How They Work

When a moderator activates breakouts:

  1. The canvas shows distinct zone areas
  2. Participants in the same zone can hear each other
  3. Participants in different zones are audio-isolated — you won't hear them and they won't hear you
  4. Screen shares are also zone-isolated unless a moderator is broadcasting

Moving Between Zones

If the creator has placed your Drop inside a specific zone, that's where you'll be during breakouts. The moderator can move participants between zones or shuffle seating arrangements.

Broadcasting

Moderators with broadcast permissions can override zone isolation:

  • Broadcast audio — their voice is heard across all zones
  • Broadcast screen — their screen share is visible to all zones

This is useful for announcements or when a facilitator needs to address everyone without deactivating breakouts.

When Breakouts End

When the moderator deactivates breakouts, everyone returns to the shared audio space — all participants can hear each other again.