The increasing need for lithium, an essential element in energy storage devices, calls for the development of efficient lithium recovery methods from brines, the primary source of global lithium deposits. The recovery process of lithium from brines is complex due to the presence of co-existing ions with similar properties. Crown ether functionalized membranes present a promising solution for selective lithium recovery. Crown ethers, known for their strong affinity towards metal ions through ion-dipole interactions, form “host-guest” complexes that facilitate the selective extraction of lithium ions based on cavity-cation size compatibility. Various studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of crown ether-grafted membranes in enhancing lithium selectivity. This review explores the advancements in crown ether functionalized membranes, showing their potential to address the challenges in lithium recovery from brines.