Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is toxic and an important gas signal molecule in the organism as well, so it is important to study the detection of H2S. As sensor materials, porphyrins and their derivatives have good chemical and optical stability and photoelectric changes will be produced when combined with H2S. Therefore, porphyrins and their derivatives are excellent materials for detecting H2S. The detection methods of H2S, the properties of porphyrin and the reaction principle of porphyrin and H2S are introduced. The applications of porphyrins in H2S detection are reviewed in terms of different sensor categories, while the application field of porphyrins in H2S detection is prospected.