As a new aluminosilicate green material, geopolymers have the advantages of excellent mechanical properties, high durability, wide source of raw materials, low energy consumption and simple production process, etc. Geopolymers are widely used in the fields of construction materials, refractory materials and immobilization of heavy metal ions, etc. The mechanisms of immobilization of heavy metal ions are divided into physical mechanism （physical encapsulation and ion exchange） and chemical mechanism （chemical bonding, compound formation and reducing agent coupling）. The recent research progress of geopolymers in the field of immobilization of heavy metal ions was reviewed, the preparation process of geopolymers and the process of geopolymerization reaction were briefly introduced, and the mechanism of immobilization of heavy metal ions by geopolymers was highlighted. In addition, the effects of additive types and content, alkali exciter types and content, silicon to aluminum ratio, curing temperature and heavy metal ions on immobilization effect were presented. Finally, the study and application progress on heavy metal ions immobilized by geopolymers in recent years were summarized, the problems were analyzed, and the future research directions were prospected.