In this paper, the development course and film forming mechanism of micro-arc oxidation technology were reviewed, and the characteristics of MAO of aluminum alloy were discussed. Besides, the effects of oxidation time, duty cycle, voltage, current density, electrolyte concentration, matrix roughness, nanoparticle additives and composite technology on the microstructure and properties of aluminum alloy MAO coating were elaborated in detail based on the research status of aluminum alloy MAO technology. It was found that the current density could affect the growth mechanism of the coating and cause a large difference in the surface structure and internal defects of the MAO coating. The thickness and roughness of the MAO coatings obtained with different electrolytes were significantly different. The uniformity of the MAO coating and the size of the micro-pores in the coating varied greatly under different voltage parameters. The structure and performance of the coating could be greatly improved by preparing the MAO composite coating and utilizing of nanoparticle reinforcement. In addition, the microstructure and structure of the aluminum alloy MAO coating were adjusted by changing the above influencing factors, thereby achieving optimization of the MAO coating properties, such as the improvement of the hardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance and fatigue resistance of the coating. Finally, the development direction of aluminum alloy micro-arc oxidation was prospected.