Aluminosilicate solid waste (ASW) is discharged in large quantities in industrial production, with SiO2 and Al2O3 as the main components. ASW has a wide range of sources, is cheap and easy to obtain, and contains a large number of high value-added elements, which can be used for element extraction and high-quality material preparation. However, the structure characteristics of amorphous phase and coexistence of multiple crystals lead to low ASW reactivity. Therefore, improving the reactivity is a key prerequisite for the realization of ASW resource utilization. In this paper, the activation methods and mechanisms of typical ASW at home and abroad are analyzed and summarized. The relationship between the structural characteristics and reactivity of typical ASW is analyzed from the amorphous phase and crystal phase structure. The activation methods require for typical ASW with different mineral phase characteristics are clarified. The influence mechanism of different activation methods on the reactivity of ASW is summarized. The typical synergistic activation methods and application fields of ASW are introduced. The future development of ASW activation and utilization is prospected, which provides a reference for the efficient activation and resource recycling of ASW.