In recent years, due to the popularity of wearable and implantable devices, the application of electrocardiogram (ECG) recognition for human identification has become more and more feasible. ECG is an important biological signal, which can be used for the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. After more than 20 years of research, it has been established that the ECG signal is unique to individual. This article intends to summarize the previous algorithms and applications in ECG recognition for human identification, while introducing the concept, history, algorithm summary, hardware platform etc. In addition, we also discuss some important issues in order to provide a helpful guideline for future research.