MOFs’ hydrolytic stability together with high versatility and modularity has promoted them as highly promising candidates for water-related applications of high societal interest and other emerging fields. S-shaped water isotherms and the finely tuned hydrophilic character of MOFs are key parameters for heat reallocation and water harvesting applications, while increased hydrophobicity is expected for separation occurring under wet conditions. Bearing suitable functional groups (e.g., –SO3H, –COOH, –NH2) that are geometrically precisely distributed, MOFs can show high proton conductivity outperforming benchmark materials. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trechm.2020.09.004