Eutrophication is a global issue that threatens drinking water safety and even the entire ecological balance. The excessive discharge of phosphorus (mainly in phosphate) in water is one of the important reasons for eutrophication. Therefore, controlling the concentration of phosphorus in water, especially phosphate concentration, is of great significance. Mn-based materials have good potential for phosphate removal, but existing reviews lack a systematic summary of them, making this metal-based material that has not received enough attention. ln fact, research on Mn-based materials in the field of phosphate removal has evolved from single manganese oxides to mixed metal oxides and hydroxides, metal-support composite materials, and layered double hydroxides (LDHs). Meanwhile, the emerging methods such as electro assisted adsorption and plasma further enhance the ability of Mn-based materials to remove phosphates. The present article reviews the effects and mechanisms of phosphate removal using different Mn-based materials, and evaluates the application prospect of phosphate removal using different Mn-based materials. Then, from the perspective of increasing pHpzc or enhancing electrostatic effects, several methods for enhancing phosphate removal in Mn-based materials are analyzed and summarized. Finally, based on the existing research, the current shortcomings and future development directions are proposed in order to provide a reference for future research on phosphate removal using Mn-based materials.