Taste masking plays a crucial role in the development of oral pharmaceutical formulations, particularly in improving patient compliance among pediatric, geriatric, and sensitive patient populations. Many active pharmaceutical ingredients possess an inherently bitter or unpleasant taste, which can lead to poor adherence and reduced therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, effective taste masking strategies are essential to ensure patient acceptability without compromising drug release and bioavailability. Oral drug delivery systems, although widely preferred due to their convenience and non-invasive nature, face several challenges, including the rapid interaction of drug molecules with taste receptors in the oral cavity, difficulty in masking highly water-soluble and intensely bitter drugs, and maintaining a balance between palatability and optimal drug release. Additionally, formulation stability, scalability, and regulatory compliance further complicate the development process. Various taste masking techniques have been explored to overcome these challenges, ranging from conventional approaches such as the use of sweeteners, flavors, and viscosity modifiers to advanced methods including polymer coating, microencapsulation, ion-exchange resins, inclusion complexation, and lipid- or nanoparticle-based systems. The selection of an appropriate technique depends on the physicochemical properties of the drug and the desired dosage form. Optimization of taste-masked formulations is typically achieved using systematic approaches such as Design of Experiments (DoE), enabling the identification of critical formulation variables and their impact on performance. Evaluation of taste masking efficiency involves both in vitro methods, such as dissolution studies in simulated saliva and electronic tongue analysis, and in vivo techniques, including human taste panel studies. Overall, advancements in formulation technologies continue to enhance the effectiveness of taste masking while ensuring desirable drug release characteristics and patient compliance.