As one of the most important physical and chemical properties of atmospheric particulate matter, hygroscopicity can directly affect the particle size, morphology, chemical composition, chemical reactivity, and optical properties of aerosol particles under ambient conditions, thereby ultimately having an impact on the environmental and climatic effects of aerosol particles. Most existing widely used hygroscopicity measurement techniques have low sensitivity and assume that the particles are spherical, making it difficult to accurately determine the hygroscopicity of non-spherical or low-hygroscopic particulate matter. Comparatively, vapor sorption analyzer studies the hygroscopicity of particles by measuring the mass change of particle samples as a function of relative humidity. This new method not only has no requirements for particle morphology, but also has excellent measurement sensitivity. In this paper, the working principle and technical characteristics of this new method for aerosol hygroscopic measurement are introduced firstly, and then the application of this new method in atmospheric science, earth and planetary science, medical aerosol particles, and other fields is described in detail. Finally, based on the brief summary of the advantages and limitations of the vapor sorption analyzer in the study of atmospheric particle hygroscopicity, some future research directions are discussed and prospected.