This is the Apple Watch's most useful feature by far
- The Apple Watch is packed with handy and surprising features.
- The best feature, though, is its ability to instantly find your iPhone - even if it's on silent.
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I bought the Apple Watch Series 4 in early March, and I haven't spent a day without it since.
Though I wasn't a huge fan of the original Apple Watch, the Series 4 made me a believer. I loved discovering its many features, for both fitness and productivity - Business Insider readers even shared their favorite tips and tricks with me, which was especially helpful.
But there's one Apple Watch feature I've used more than every other: the ability to ping my iPhone from my Apple Watch.
I'll admit it: I lose my iPhone all the time. I don't lose it in public or anything serious like that, but it's constantly going missing around my apartment. Sometimes I leave it in my bedroom, sometimes it's in my den around my desk area, and most of the time it's lost inside a couch cushion in my living room. Before the Apple Watch, trying to find my perennially misplaced iPhone, especially when I was in a rush to head out the door, was a pain in the butt.
Thankfully, my Apple Watch never has a problem finding my phone.
With a simple swipe from the bottom of the Apple Watch, I activate its Control Center, which has an array of button shortcuts to handy Watch functions - like Theatre Mode, which silences your phone and keeps your screen dim unless you touch it, or the ability to eject water from the Watch after you swim or shower.
In the Control Center, there's a button that has an icon for an iPhone, with sound waves around it. Pressing this button will ping your iPhone, even if it's on silent. Unlike the Find My iPhone feature from your phone or computer, where your iPhone will make continuous noise until you find it, the Apple Watch only pings your iPhone once when you press it. That's usually enough to find your phone.
Apple even created a useful video showing the feature in action.
What's your favorite Apple Watch feature? Let me know - shoot me an email at dsmith@businessinsider.com.