I’m trying to understand how the ‘Share Focus Status’ feature works. Whenever I enable my Focus mode on my device, some apps notify others that notifications are silenced. Can someone explain why this happens and how to manage it?
Oh, ‘Share Focus Status’ is like your phone politely shouting, ‘Hey, I’m busy, stop bugging me!’ When you turn on Focus mode, compatible apps (like iMessage) can display a little banner to people trying to contact you, letting them know that your notifications are silenced. It’s meant to discourage them from bombarding your phone, but, of course, it depends on whether they care. 
Here’s the catch: this doesn’t automatically apply to every app. Only certain ones (mostly Apple’s own apps or apps updated to support this feature) can inform others. It’s also opt-in. First, your Focus mode has to have sharing turned on. Go to Settings > Focus > [Your Focus Mode] > Focus Status and enable ‘Share Focus Status.’
For apps integrated with this, they can pass the info along to contacts trying to reach you. And don’t worry, it doesn’t blab too much—it doesn’t say why you’re silenced or share personal details (e.g., 'Bobby’s silenced ‘cause he’s binge-watching kitten TikToks again’). Just a simple ‘notifications are off’ message.
Oh, and the person on the other end can choose to ignore it and blast through with a notification if it’s urgent. So, essentially, it’s less about blocking them and more like giving them a little guilt trip: ‘Hey, I’m silenced right now. Do you really need to bug me?’
In short, a polite boundary-setting tool that works most of the time, unless you’ve got friends who think ‘urgent’ means a meme of a dancing duck.
I think @jeff’s explanation mostly nails it, but here’s my take: ‘Share Focus Status’ is essentially a soft nudge to others that you’re unreachable at the moment. It’s like hanging a “Do Not Disturb” sign outside your room, but digitally. When you’re in Focus mode (e.g., Do Not Disturb, Work, Sleep—whatever), those apps that support the feature (mainly Apple ones like iMessage, surprise surprise 
) let your contacts know you’ve turned off notifications. Cool, right?
But here’s where it gets iffy: not all apps play along—so don’t expect Snapchat or WhatsApp to tell your friends you’re not reading their 85 messages about dinner plans. Also, it needs to be enabled for each Focus mode you use (Settings > Focus > [Pick Your Focus Mode] > Share Focus Status). Even if it’s on, people can still bypass it if they decide their dog memes are life-and-death urgent. So, in reality, it’s pretty polite and non-binding, more of a suggestion than, say, an iron curtain of silence.
Now, what about privacy? Relax, it doesn’t overshare. No one sees, “Hey, this person’s silencing you cuz they’re crushing a bag of chips on the couch” or whatever. It just generically says you’ve silenced notifications. Which is fine, but sometimes I wish it could explain why—because people always think the worst. ‘Oh, they’re ignoring me for sure!’ Just chill; it’s Focus mode, Karen.
The real annoyance? Its effectiveness entirely depends on other people respecting it. And let’s be real, humans are pushy. Wouldn’t shock me if someone reads, “Notifications Silenced,” and double-texts just to see if they can break through. Anyway, it’s a decent feature, not foolproof. Smarter than a simple ignore, but not bulletproof against persistence.