Abstract: Water glass is a commonly used regulator in mineral flotation processes, but it is difficult to achieve selective inhibition because of the characteristics of low grade, fine embedded particle size, and complex composition for minerals. However, modifying water glass can enhance the selective inhibition effect and save costs. This article reviews the modification methods of water glass by metal ions and acids, and the application and inhibition mechanism of various types of salted water glass such as aluminum salt modified water glass, iron salt modified water glass, and lead salt modified water glass, as well as sulfuric acid acidified water glass and oxalic acid acidified water glass in flotation. It also looks forward to the development direction of future modified water glass, and provides a reference for the development of high−performance modified water glass and its application.