CA-MSNs are more intelligent and user-friendly than conventional online or mobile social networks. We first classify CA-MSNs into four categories, and divide their life cycle into four phases: discovery, connection, interaction, and organization. We then introduce personal and community context, and discuss the corresponding taxonomy. Subsequently, we elaborate how such context can be leveraged to enhance each life cycle phase. We also present our practices on designing various CA-MSN applications. Finally, future research directions are identified to shed light on the next generation MSNs from the context awareness perspective.