The immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) represented by programmed death 1/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) antibody opened a new era of immunotherapy. However, PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors have not been approved for indications in the field of malignant lymphoma except for classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) and primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma. Researchers have actively explored different lymphoma subtypes with single drugs or combined therapy, and achieved certain effect initially. The latest advances of ICI in cHL, B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and T-cell lymphoma and the management of immune-related adverse events are briefly introduced in this paper.