In recent years, TiO2 nanotube array has become one of the research hotspots due to its large specific surface area, strong electron transport capability, good chemical stability and photocathodic protection ability with obvious advantage to provide effective anti-corrosion protection for metal substrates. In order to explore the applications of TiO2 nanotube array in metal corrosion protection, its protection for stainless steel and carbon steel and the effect of modification method on its delay effect of photocathodic protection were reviewed. The difference of protection effect of TiO2 nanotube array for the two types of steel was compared and analyzed. It is pointed out that the protection effect of nanotube array for carbon steel is not as good as that for stainless steel, which mainly results from the low bonding strength between the array and the carbon steel matrix and the effects of structure and electronic properties of interfacial coating. Due to wide band gap, the utilization rate of visible light of TiO2is relatively low. Moreover, the photo generated electron-hole pairs of TiO2 have a short life. Different modification methods are needed to improve its photocathodic protection effect. So research progress on improving photocathodic protection effect of TiO2 nanotube arrays by five main modification methods such as metal ion doping, non-metal doping, semiconductor recombination, precious metal deposition and graphene composite modification was also elaborated respectively, the main factors affecting the modification effect and the corresponding modification mechanism were also summarized and analyzed. According to the current research status, the problems to be further studied and explored were proposed. Wish to provide ideas of obtaining excellent cathodic protection effect for TiO2 nanotube array.