Did you know that you could use your Apple Watch Series 5 as a remote viewfinder for your iPhone? That means you can frame yourself for photos and videos using the rear camera. You can even zoom in and out using the digital crown.

This is just one of the many things I’ve learned since I got the Apple Watch Series 5.

Apart from monitoring alerts, the most useful everyday feature of the Apple Watch is the timer, with the help of Siri. I know, almost every watch nowadays has a built-in timer or stopwatch, but when I cook, I rarely use them because it takes a lot of preparation.

Twisting a mechanical kitchen timer to the correct time is easier than switching to a timer mode and setting the correct time on a conventional watch. Pressing a button or just saying “Hey, Siri. Set a timer for 3 minutes.” is way easier when you have your hands full.

As someone who listens to a lot of Audiobooks and Podcasts, the experience is a mixed bag when it comes to the Apple Watch Series 5. Switching the Airpods Pro from the phone to the watch is a seamless process. Using the native podcast app is fine too.

However, syncing the podcast and audiobook between the phone and watch can be a hassle. With Audible (Audiobooks), I have to load the book to the watch to listen to it. So I end up using the watch as a media control centre most of the time. The phone will be in my bag or pocket.

As much as I ignore the health features on the Apple Watch, I must admit it has been useful. I don’t put any effort in closing the rings. That said, I do appreciate the heartbeat, ambient noise, and breathe app.

One lets me know when I am not well, one lets me know it’s okay to step away, and one reminds me to relax.

When I have a fever or just plain stress, my heartbeat spikes and the app shows it on a chart, mapping the highs and lows in my day. Sometimes, I don’t realise my environment is too loud, I want to walk away and ambient noise app give me the excuse. Finally, the breath app just pops up once in a while to remind me to take time for myself. I don’t know if it is random or if there is an algorithm to it though.

So, yeah. The Apple Watch Series 5 can do a lot of nifty things and I’ve learned to depend on it.