Organic photochromic molecules undergo reversible isomerization with UV and visible light to achieve color change. Spiropyran is an organic photochromic material with outstanding performance, and its color-changing behavior can be regulated under a variety of conditions, including light, temperature, pH, and mechanical pressure. Spiropyran molecules can be utilized to prepare photochromic polymers, MOFs, microcapsules, and other materials. These have important applications and prospects in optical information storage, smart sensors, anti-counterfeiting and encryption, targeted drugs, fluorescent probes, and more. Consequently, they have captured significant attention and interest from researchers. This mini review provides a comprehensive review of the structural properties of spiropyran materials and their applications in various composites. It summarizes the preparation, synthesis, and molecular structure of spiropyran materials, analyzes the linkage between the modification design of spiropyran materials and the realization of their functions, and discusses the latest domestic and international research progress and application studies of various photochromic spiropyran materials. Finally, it envisions the future development direction of spiropyran materials.