Clinching technology can join thin sheets of various materials, including aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, steel, titanium alloy, and polymers. Nowadays, with the popularization of the lightweight concept and the application of various sheet materials in manufacturing, clinching technology has highlighted the advantages of being able to adapt to the joining of different sheet materials. With its unique advantages, clinching technology gains wide development space in the field of metal sheet connection. The application of clinching technology in various sheet materials is summarized and analyzed. The clinching process of special materials is also discussed. In addition, some unaddressed issues in the clinching process of special materials are identified in this paper.