I’ve experimented with Focus Assist quite a bit and honestly, while it’s great for blocking general noise, the customization still feels a bit limited. You can allow priority notifications, but setting up your own priority list means digging through Settings > System > Focus Assist > Customize your priority list. It supports allowing calls, some app notifications, but it doesn’t always play nice with newer messaging apps or third-party stuff—some still sneak through while others get squashed entirely.
One trick: combining Focus Assist rules with Night Light and Scheduled Focus Sessions can really lock things down for deep work, but you have to juggle a few separate settings panels. Definitely wish Microsoft offered a more streamlined “work mode” toggle, but for now, piecing together the tools is the way to get the most from it.
