This a topical review on the applications of silicene and the Xenes, the elemental 2D materials family beyond graphene. Two paradigmatic applications of silicene, i.e. field-effect transistors and flexible membranes, are here reviewed and an overview on the applications involving Xenes out of silicene is discussed. Finally, an outlook on the lab-to-fab transition for silicene and the Xenes is provided.