More things are connected to the Internet, making the internet of things (IoT) develop significantly. But IoT also has weaknesses in communication, one of which can be overcome by utilizing message querying telemetry transfer (MQTT) because there are too many benefits of MQTT. Because there have been many published studies regarding MQTT, this study aims to conduct a review utilizing Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) on the application of MQTT in IoT applications to enhance technology. The results of using PRISMA were 57 papers selected from this process, which starts from the identification stage, screening, eligibility, and included. The last author found components that can be discussed to enhance technology. In this discussion, several topics will be used to enhance technology, such as; smart technology, security, MQTT performance for IoT, monitoring systems, MQTT comparison, enhancement or optimization. This paper is expected to help academia and industry related to MQTT research that can help IoT to enhance technology quality.