Historical masonry is a heterogeneous material constituted by diverse materials and techniques, illustrating the legacy of ancient architecture. Protecting these structures is crucial to preserving cultural identities, ensuring their sustainability and safeguarding them against deterioration and decay. In this context, due to their non-invasive character, non-destructive and minor destructive test are widely used to assess the structural state of historical building. However, these techniques present several limitations when applied to heterogeneous and anisotropic structures. This paper reviews recent advancements in emerging technologies used to overcome these limitations, such as artificial intelligence, heritage building information modeling, terrestrial laser scanning and photogrammetry. The finding highlight the need for explicit implementation procedure of these technologies within existing assessments practices, as presented in existing recommendations and published guidelines. Finally, the study proposes an applicable methodology for diagnosing the structural state and safety of historical masonry considering these advanced techniques. A flowchart is established to present the steps of the diagnosis process.