Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the metabolic diseases with the highest morbidity rates in the world. Probiotics have positive health impacts on human health and a considerable amount of research has demonstrated their beneficial effects in treating T2DM. However, probiotic intervention in T2DM has complex mechanisms because the pathogenesis of T2DM is complex. This review summarized the mechanisms of probiotic intervention in diabetes from the perspective of diabetes pathogenesis. First, the objectives of probiotic intervention in diabetes aimed at the intestinal tract reparative effects, pancreatic function, host metabolism and self-recovery were comprehensively reviewed. Next, we concluded the clinical application status of ingested probiotics in patients with T2DM, and an obvious imbalance exists between theoretical probiotic research and clinical applications. Finally, we summarized the emerging research on probiotic interventions in T2DM and analyzed the literature in this regard, including next-generation probiotics; suggestions for probiotics consumption with the aim of diabetic complications; as well as the association between novel mechanisms of diabetes remission with the potential for probiotic intervention. In conclusion, this review sheds light on the potential role of probiotics, from proposed mechanisms to prospects in relieving T2DM.