Hydrogels are cutting-edge polymeric materials with potential for application across various fields. They have become one of the hot topics in research areas such as tissue engineering and biomedical engineering, thanks to their good biocompatibility, efficient drug-loading capacity, and intelligently tunable mechanical and biological properties. In recent years, hydrogels have also been widely studied in the field of ophthalmology. This review first introduces the preparation methods and gelation characteristics of hydrogels, and then discusses their application prospects in major retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal detachment from aspects of anti-angiogenesis, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and as vitreous substitutes, providing important reference and guidance for future research and clinical applications.