The intermetallic compound FeTi has attracted attention as a candidate for use as a hydrogen-storage alloy since the early days of hydrogen-storage alloy research, principally because of the abundance and relatively low cost of its constituents and its acceptable hydrogen absorption parameters for many potential applications. However, FeTi is, so far, not the easiest of the hydrogen-storage alloys to activate and thus it has remained as something of a challenge to see if this economically attractive alloy could be made more readily useable. This review deals with results from all the major experimental techniques which have been used on the activation for hydrogen absorption (AFHA) problem in FeTi since it became of topical interest. Various mechanisms which have been suggested as contributing to the activation process are discussed in relation to the experimental evidence available to date. Some treatment is also given of the known structures and properties of oxides and other compounds which have been found, from work in various laboratories, to be present on the FeTi surface, before, during, and after the AFHA treatment. Features of these properties are discussed which are of potential interest in providing hydrogen “passage” mechanisms through layers of surface compounds on FeTi, particularly the oxides. Parallels with the the behaviour of surface layers on other hydrogenabsorbing metals and alloys are also drawn.