Chromebook owners are about to get this great free Chrome OS upgrade

If you own one of the best Chromebooks then you'll know the deal: fast, portable, easy computing, with everything available at the click of a button. 

But Google isn't content to rest on its laurels and continually releases big upgrades for Chrome OS, which sits at the heart of any and all Chromebooks. 

Google announced several new features yesterday, including some pretty cool ones that should get anyone using a Chromebook excited, making some of the best student laptops even better. 

Gone are the days when the best laptops were Windows-based, offering better hardware and features, replaced by tiny little Chromebooks that cost a fraction of the price, built around the Chrome browser. 

Let's take a look at some of the upgrades Google has planned. 

Access recent photos 

After introducing Phone Hub for Chrome, which lets users easily control their Android device from their Chromebook, Google is now adding the ability to access and manage photos seamlessly. 

"After taking a picture on your phone, it will automatically appear within Phone Hub on your laptop under 'recent photos'," the company says. "Just click on the image to download it, then it’s ready to be added to a document or email." 

It all happens instantly means that you won't have to email photos to yourself or use a third-party storage service, such as Dropbox. 

Nearby Share for WiFi passwords 

One of the best iOS features is the ability to easily share WiFi passwords with other devices, reducing the need to type in long, complicated codes. 

Well, Google has taken note and Chromebooks will be getting a similar feature that works with Android devices. It looks a lot like Apple's version, which is fair enough, and we're just happy this feature is getting added more widely. 

Connect headphones with a tap 

Coming later this summer, Chromebooks will get the ability to more easily add and manage Bluetooth headphones. While wireless headphones are super convenient because of the lack of wires, setup can often be a pain. 

"Just turn on your Chromebook’s Bluetooth, and it will automatically detect when a new pair of Bluetooth headphones are on, are nearby and are ready to be set up," says Google. "A pop-up notification will appear and with one tap, your new accessory is connected and ready to go." 

Screencasting 

Finally, Google is adding the brand new Screencast app to Chrome OS, letting users easily record, trim, and share videos. 

"Screencast makes it easy for anyone to record instructional videos, software demos, presentations, and more," Google says. "It will start rolling out this week, so give it a go by tapping the Everything Button and searching for the Screencast app." 

Google says more features are coming over the next few months so keep your eyes peeled for those, too. 

Want the best Chromebook? 

We've spent hours testing Chromebooks to find the very, very best and our winner is the Acer Chromebook Spin 713, which features a 13.5-inch display, a powerful Intel i7 chip, and up to 256GB of storage. 

Perhaps the coolest thing about the Acer Spin 713 is the 360-degree hinge, meaning the laptop can configure however you want it to. 

It's the real deal and can easily go head-to-head with various Windows laptops (and maybe even a MacBook Air). 

• The best student Chromebooks: top choices from Asus, HP and more