Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes have been extensively applied to scientific research and industrial process due to its outstanding properties such as high thermal stability, good chemical resistance and membrane forming properties. This article provides an overview of recent progress On the application and modification of PVDF membranes. The applications include water treatment, membrane distillation, gas separation, pollutants removal, bioethanol recovery, separator for lithium ion battery, support for preparing composite membranes, etc. Subsequently, On the basis of two major problems of PVDF membranes in applications, i.e., membrane fouling and membrane wetting, the hydrophilic modification and hydrophobic modification methods are comprehensively reviewed. Finally, the key issues associated with the modification of PVDF membranes for actual applications are discussed. This paper may provide an insight for the development of PVDF membranes in future. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.