The discovery that most mammalian genome sequences are transcribed to RNA has revolutionized our understanding of the mechanisms governing key cellular processes and of the causes of human diseases, including diabetes mellitus. Pancreatic islet cells were found to contain thousands of noncoding RNAs, including microRNAs, Piwi-associated RNAs, small nucleolar RNAs, tRNAderived fragments, long non-coding RNAs and circular RNAs. While the involvement of microRNAs in islet function and in the etiology of diabetes is now well documented, there is emerging evidence indicating that other classes of non-coding RNAs are also participating in different aspects of islet physiology. The aim of this review will be to provide a comprehensive and updated view of the studies carried out in human samples and rodent models over the last 15 years on the role of non-coding RNAs in the control of α-and β-cell development and function and to highlight the recent discoveries in the field. We will not only describe the role of non-coding RNAs in the control of insulin and glucagon secretion but will also address the contribution of these regulatory molecules in the proliferation and survival of islet cells under physiological and pathological conditions. It is now well established that most cells release part of their non-coding RNAs inside small extracellular vesicles allowing the delivery of genetic material to neighboring or distantly located target cells. The role of these secreted RNAs in cell-to-cell communication between β-cells and other metabolic tissues as well as their potential use as diabetes biomarkers will be discussed.-Circulating non-coding RNAs represent promising biomarkers.