Plays a role in vesicle-mediated protein trafficking to lysosomal compartments including the endocytic membrane transport and autophagic pathways. Acts as a component of the HOPS endosomal tethering complex. This complex is proposed to be involved in the Rab5- to-Rab7 endosome conversion probably implicating MON1A/B, and via binding SNAREs and SNARE complexes to mediate tethering and docking events during SNARE-mediated membrane fusion. The HOPS complex is proposed to be recruited to Rab7 on the late endosomal membrane and to regulate late endocytic, phagocytic and autophagic traffic towards lysosomes (PubMed:23351085, PubMed:33851776). Involved in homotypic vesicle fusions between late endosomes and in heterotypic fusions between late endosomes and lysosomes implicated in degradation of endocytosed cargo (PubMed:23167963, PubMed:25445562, PubMed:25908847, PubMed:9159129). Required for fusion of autophagosomes with lysosomes (PubMed:25783203, PubMed:37821429). Links the HOPS complex to endosomal Rab7 via its association with RILP and to lysosomal membranes via its association with ARL8B, suggesting that these interactions may bring the compartments to close proximity for fusion (PubMed:21802320, PubMed:25445562, PubMed:25908847). Involved in the direct trans-Golgi network to late endosomes transport of lysosomal membrane proteins independently of HOPS (PubMed:23322049). Involved in sorting to the regulated secretory pathway presumably implicating the AP-3 adapter complex (By similarity). May play a role in HOPS-independent function in the regulated secretory pathway (PubMed:24210660). {ECO:0000250|UniProtKB:D3ZVH6, ECO:0000269|PubMed:21802320, ECO:0000269|PubMed:23167963, ECO:0000269|PubMed:23322049, ECO:0000269|PubMed:25445562, ECO:0000269|PubMed:25783203, ECO:0000269|PubMed:25908847, ECO:0000269|PubMed:33851776, ECO:0000269|PubMed:37821429, ECO:0000269|PubMed:9159129, ECO:0000305|PubMed:23167963, ECO:0000305|PubMed:23351085, ECO:0000305|PubMed:24210660, ECO:0000305|PubMed:25445562}. This is the function of VPS41 (VPS41 subunit of HOPS complex, ENSG00000006715).