Abstract-This paper shortly surveys existing and proposed methods for voltage instability detection. The emphasis is on methods relying on real-time measurements as well as on longterm voltage instability. Methods are classified according to the required measurement configuration: local vs. wide-area, standard SCADA-type vs. synchronized phasor measurements, etc. In the various categories, some of the features are summarized, and what appears to the authors as advantages or limitations is shortly discussed. An important feature is the ability to anticipate instability. Some tracks for further work on the subject are also outlined.