Assigning tables to groups in RoomRadar

This guide helps you keep physical tables and RoomRadar groups perfectly aligned. Use it before every multi-table session and any time tables move during the day. In a hurry: label tables clearly, mirror the same names in RoomRadar, test one sentence per table, and recheck after every break.

Fast path

1. Label tables in the room (Table A, Table B, Table C).
2. Create matching group names in RoomRadar.
3. Connect one phone at each table and assign immediately.
4. Run one test sentence per table and verify it lands in the right stream.
5. Re-run the same check after breaks or seating changes.

Before participants arrive

Good table mapping is operational, not administrative. If labels drift, intervention speed drops: you hear "table D needs help" but cannot find the right stream quickly.

Set one naming standard and keep it everywhere:

• room signage
• RoomRadar group names
• verbal instructions
• worksheet headers

Avoid clever team names in large rooms. Clear labels are faster to troubleshoot.

If you are still setting up phones, do that first with [Connect phones as microphones for multi-table workshops](/guides/setup/connect-phones-as-microphones), then return to mapping checks.

Step-by-step mapping flow

1. Create the room-to-group map first

Use a simple grid in your notes:

• physical table label
• RoomRadar group label
• active phone confirmed (yes/no)
• risk note (noise zone, weak network, late arrivals)

This map becomes your control surface when things move quickly.

2. Assign each phone as it joins

Do not wait for all tables to connect before assigning groups. The safer pattern is assign-and-verify one table at a time.

At each table:

1. confirm the physical label
2. check phone is in the matching group
3. ask for one sentence at normal speaking volume
4. verify transcript appears in that group only

3. Protect mapping during breaks

Most mapping errors happen after coffee breaks, not at opening.

Run a 90-second reset:

• every table sign still visible
• one active phone per table
• one new line in each group stream

If a phone moved, fix it before the next prompt starts.

4. Remap only when layout really changes

If tables split or merge mid-session:

1. pause only affected tables
2. update group names/structure
3. reconnect phones to the updated groups
4. run one-line verification

Do not force a full-room stop for a local mapping change unless many tables are affected.

Common failures and fixes

Transcript appears in the wrong group

Most common cause: phone was reassigned under time pressure.

Fix in under 30 seconds:

1. disconnect from wrong group
2. reassign to correct group
3. run one test phrase
4. verify no duplicate lines remain

One group is silent but table is talking

Start local checks in this order:

• phone still on RoomRadar page
• microphone permission still granted
• correct group assignment

If issue persists, switch device using [Replacing a participant phone during a session](/guides/setup/replacing-a-phone-mid-session).

Similar labels cause confusion (`1` vs `11`)

Rename to clearer labels (A, B, C or Table 1, Table 2) and announce once to the room.

When this guide is for you

Use this guide when your risk is mixed transcripts or slow interventions.

If your main problem is session launch sequencing, use [Starting a RoomRadar session](/guides/setup/start-a-roomradar-session). If your main problem is reconnecting dropped devices, use [Reconnecting a device without losing the discussion](/guides/setup/reconnecting-a-disconnected-device).

Related guides

• [Connect phones as microphones for multi-table workshops](/guides/setup/connect-phones-as-microphones)
• [Starting a RoomRadar session](/guides/setup/start-a-roomradar-session)
• [Reconnecting a device without losing the discussion](/guides/setup/reconnecting-a-disconnected-device)
• [Replacing a participant phone during a session](/guides/setup/replacing-a-phone-mid-session)
• [Monitoring discussions across groups without losing context](/guides/workflows/monitoring-discussions-across-groups)