Purpose: Here, we investigated the involvement of the miR-188-5p/inhibitor of the DNA binding 4 (ID4) axis in retinoblastoma (Rb). Patients and methods: We included 35 Rb tissues and the corresponding adjacent normal tissues. RT-qPCR, Western blot, lentivirus transfection, measurement of cell migration in vitro, and chip analysis were performed during the study. Mouse Rb models were established to investigate the in vivo mechanisms. Results: We showed that miR-188-5p was upregulated in Rb tissues; moreover, we identified a pathway involving the upregulation of miR-188-5p and its downstream target, ID4, in vitro. Cell experiments revealed that the overexpression of miR-188-5p significantly downregulated the expression of ID4 and the underlying mechanism involved direct targeting of the ID4 3'-UTR. The levels of ID4 are lower in Rb tissues; it plays an antitumor role by inhibiting Rb metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Further investigation revealed that the miR-188-5p/ID4 axis regulated metastasis by promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). We demonstrated that microRNA-188-5p promoted EMT by targeting ID4 through Wnt/beta catenin signaling in Rb. Conclusion: miRNA-188-5p can promote EMT by targeting ID4 through the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway.