 Hydrogels with tailored swelling shrinkable properties have various biomedical applications, including wound healing, tissue regeneration, drug delivery, tissue adhesives, internal soft tissue wound healing, and bioelectronics. The negative swelling behavior of hydrogels can be exploited to drive non-indasive wound closure and promote drug release. This review summarizes the tactics employed so far in tailoring the swelling shrinkable properties of hydrogels and their biomedical applications, providing a comprehensive understanding of the current progress and future challenges for potential clinical translations. This article was authored by Wenjun Fong and Jin Kewei.