β‑arrestins are a family of adaptor proteins that regulate the signaling and trafficking of various G protein‑coupled receptors (GPCRs). They consist of β‑arrestin1 and β‑arrestin2 and are considered to be scaffolding proteins. β‑arrestins regulate cell proliferation, promote cell invasion and migration, transmit anti‑apoptotic survival signals and affect other characteristics of tumors, including tumor growth rate, angiogenesis, drug resistance, invasion and metastatic potential. It has been demonstrated that β‑arrestins serve roles in various physiological and pathological processes and exhibit a similar function to GPCRs. β‑arrestins serve primary roles in cancer invasion and metastasis via various signaling pathways. The present review assessed the function and mechanism of β‑arrestins in cancer invasion and metastasis via multiple signaling pathways, including mitogen‑activated protein kinase/extracellular signal regulated kinase, Wnt/β‑catenin, nuclear factor‑κB and phosphoinositide‑3 kinase/Akt.