The preparation of heterocyclic compounds has attracted great attention in organic chemistry because of their extensive application in the field of bioactive molecules, materials science, and natural products. Accordingly, the straightforward design and synthesis of heterocycles using readily accessible starting materials and reagents are among the main targets of synthetic chemists. In this context, reactions involving aryl methyl ketone and molecular iodine are recognized as powerful approaches for one-pot synthesis of heterocyclic compounds. This review focuses on the approaches developed for one-pot synthesis of N,O,S,Se-heterocyclic compounds through reactions involving aryl methyl ketone and molecular iodine over the past ten years.