Google Meet has released several long-requested features as it moves to better Zoom and improve the functions of the work-from-home generation by integrating Meet directly into Docs, Sheets and Slides.

Other additions include in-meeting reactions, emoji-based feedback, a new picture-in-picture mode, and streaming a meeting to YouTube .

“Since 2020, it’s become increasingly clear that human connection is crucial,” said Dave Citron, Google’s director of product management for Google Meet and Voice.

“We know we need solutions that help people build connections that can bridge the gap between physical spaces and the somewhere else,” Citron disclosed.

In May, Google is rolling out client-side encryption in Meet, so users will have complete control over the encryption keys and the identity provider used to access those keys. Google also plans to introduce the option of end-to-end encryption for all meetings.

Meantime, Microsoft’s Your Phone is undergoing a name change shifting to the more appropriate Phone Link and Link to Windows as the Android App. Honour is also joining the party, offering advanced Phone Link features to that exclusive club. Notifications are now out front, along with tabbed navigation, to help you better manage apps, calls, messages and photos. There are more visuals in line with Windows 11’s look and feel.

And that’s not all, Google Docs upgraded it writing suggestions, seen as responded to the popularity of Grammarly . The new features include Smart Compose, grammar corrections, and spelling autocorrect, with a purple underline to help with tone, style, and word choice.