Large photometric and spectroscopic surveys, together with large cosmological simulations, have shown that galaxy properties are controlled by both galaxy secular evolution and galaxy environment. The latter is typically parameterized in terms of local galaxy density, dark matter mass of galaxy groups/clusters, and galaxy hierarchy (centrals vs. satellites). Galaxy environment acts on galaxies in two main different ways: i) it can prolong the star-formation history and sustain the mass assembly history of centrals, the most massive galaxies in groups/clusters. ii) It also removes gas and stars from satellites with the result of progressively switching off their star formation activity. In this talk I will present the observational trends between satellites stellar properties and environment that we have derived as a function of galaxy stellar mass, group/cluster mass and phase space, and discuss the physical mechanisms responsible for them. I will also address how the current and future telescope, either ground- or space-based, can foster our understanding of environmental effects in the local and high-redshift Universe.