Ice clouds are a critical component of the Earth’s weather and climate systems. The orientation of ice crystals influences their scattering properties, thereby affecting the accuracy of remote sensing and numerical weather predictions. With the advancement of satellite programs dedicated to ice cloud observation, precise quantification of ice crystal orientation has become increasingly important. This review summarizes the research progress in remote sensing of ice crystal orientation. Both active and passive remote-sensing techniques have been systematically reviewed across various spectral bands. The detection mechanisms, advantages, and disadvantages of diverse remote sensing techniques were analyzed, with particular emphasis on the prospects of spaceborne terahertz radiometers. Although existing techniques have demonstrated some capacity for ice crystal orientation studies, quantitative retrieval remains challenging owing to ice crystal complexity, observational constraints, and limitations in retrieval algorithms. Future research should focus on developing novel detection instruments, improving the accuracy of ice crystal scattering property calculations, optimizing radiative transfer models, and synergistic integration of multi-source remote sensing datasets.