<p>Polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogels are biocompatible, highly swellable, tunable, and cost-effective, making them attractive for biomedical and industrial applications. They have been used in cartilage repair, drug delivery, magnetic biosensors, and wound dressings. This review focuses on magneto-responsive PAM ferrogels grafted with magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and outlines their design strategies, including in-situ precipitation, blending, and grafting-onto methods. The review further discusses therapeutic applications, such as targeted drug delivery, cell biology studies, tissue engineering, and soft actuators. Recent studies are critically examined to highlight how different design approaches influence nanoparticle encapsulation, bonding, mechanical properties, and overall hydrogel performance. The effects of these strategies on cell survival, migration, and proliferation are also summarized, demonstrating the clinical potential of PAM ferrogels. Finally, the review considers future directions, emphasizing the potential of magnetic PAM ferrogels as versatile biomaterials bridging laboratory research and industrial or clinical applications, and identifies key challenges for their translation into practical biomedical technologies.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>