Abstract: Zinc germanate (Zn₂GeO₄, ZGO) is a wide bandgap semiconductor material with natural defects and unique lattice structure, which can be used as a substrate material for new light-emitting devices. In recent years, Zn₂GeO₄-based long afterglow luminescence materials doped with different ions have been extensively studied. Compared with other matrix materials, Zn₂GeO₄-based long afterglow luminescence materials have excellent luminous intensity and high stability, and have the broad application prospects in the fields of optoelectronics, biological imaging, security identification and anti-counterfeiting. In this paper, the recent research progress of the preparation, performance and application of zinc Zn₂GeO₄-based long afterglow luminescence materials are reviewed, and its future development is prospected.