Abstract: The armored face conveyor (AFC) is the core coal transportation equipment in fully mechanized mining faces, and its control technology directly affects mining efficiency and operational safety. To address the issues of severe coal flow load fluctuations, uneven power distribution among multiple motors, frequent chain tension impacts, and high failure rates under complex working conditions, this paper systematically reviews the research status and development trends of AFC control technology. According to different control objects and objectives, existing studies are categorized into five types: speed control, torque control, power balance and multi?motor coordination control, chain tension and running state control, and fault?tolerant and safety protection control. For each type, the fundamental principles, typical methods, and limitations are elaborated. The analysis shows that although technologies such as variable?frequency speed regulation, vector control, master?slave power distribution, hydraulic automatic tensioning, and vibration?based fault diagnosis have achieved remarkable progress, several common problems remain unresolved: insufficient reliability of multi?source sensing, decoupling of the speed?torque?tension relationships, difficulties in deploying advanced algorithms in engineering practice, and a lack of active fault?tolerant capability. Future development should move toward whole?machine synergy, operation adaptability, and control safety, with emphasis on power reconfiguration and derated stable operation based on residual capacity assessment. This review provides a theoretical reference for research and engineering applications of intelligent AFC control methods under complex working conditions.