In recent years, phytoremediation has been highly recommended in remedying heavy metals polluted soils, because of its unique advantages; especially when the application of endophytic bacteria to the phytoremediation provides an effective new approach. During the phytoremediation process, endophytic bacteria alleviate heavy metal toxicity to the plant through its own metal resistance system by making use of their symbiotic relationships with the plant, and promote transport and accumulation of these metals in and growth of the plant under heavy metal stress by solubilizing phosphate, fixing nitrogen and producing phytohormones, siderophores, specific enzymes and antibiotics. This article reviews progresses of the recent researches on mechanisms of endophytic bacteria promoting growth of plants and resistance/phytoaccumulation/translocation of heavy metals by plants, systematically analyzes mechanisms of the bacteria promoting phytoremediation of heavy metals polluted soils and further discusses prospects of the use of endophytic bacteria in phytoremedying heavy metals polluted soil and orientation of the research in future.