A terminal device control method, wherein the method comprises: sending, by a terminal device, a directional signal in a direction in which a to-be-controlled device is located, to establish a transmission channel between the terminal device and the to-be-controlled device; receiving, by the terminal device by using the transmission channel, a response signal returned by the to-be-controlled device according to the directional signal; and starting, by the terminal device according to the response signal, a target application program corresponding to the to-be-controlled device, wherein the target application program is installed on the terminal device; characterized in that the sending, by a terminal device, a directional signal in a direction in which a to-be-controlled device is located specifically comprises: sending, by the terminal device in the direction in which the to-be-controlled device is located, the directional signal that carries an identity of the terminal device, so that identity authentication can be completed, wherein the identity authentication comprises that the to-be-controlled device determines, according to the identity of the terminal device, whether the terminal device is authorized the method further comprises: configuring, by the terminal device, a correspondence between a controlled device identifier and an application program, wherein the controlled device identifier is used to identify a to-be-controlled device, the response signal carries a controlled device identifier of the to-be-controlled device, the application program is installed on the terminal device, and the application program comprises the target application program; and the starting, by the terminal device according to the response signal, the target application program corresponding to the to-be-controlled device comprises: obtaining, by the terminal device, the controlled device identifier in the response signal, and querying, in the correspondence, the target application program corresponding to the controlled device identifier; and starting, by the terminal device, the target application program. sending, by a terminal device, a directional signal in a direction in which a to-be-controlled device is located, to establish a transmission channel between the terminal device and the to-be-controlled device; receiving, by the terminal device by using the transmission channel, a response signal returned by the to-be-controlled device according to the directional signal; and starting, by the terminal device according to the response signal, a target application program corresponding to the to-be-controlled device, wherein the target application program is installed on the terminal device; characterized in that the sending, by a terminal device, a directional signal in a direction in which a to-be-controlled device is located specifically comprises: sending, by the terminal device in the direction in which the to-be-controlled device is located, the directional signal that carries an identity of the terminal device, so that identity authentication can be completed, wherein the identity authentication comprises that the to-be-controlled device determines, according to the identity of the terminal device, whether the terminal device is authorized the method further comprises: configuring, by the terminal device, a correspondence between a controlled device identifier and an application program, wherein the controlled device identifier is used to identify a to-be-controlled device, the response signal carries a controlled device identifier of the to-be-controlled device, the application program is installed on the terminal device, and the application program comprises the target application program; and the starting, by the terminal device according to the response signal, the target application program corresponding to the to-be-controlled device comprises: obtaining, by the terminal device, the controlled device identifier in the response signal, and querying, in the correspondence, the target application program corresponding to the controlled device identifier; and starting, by the terminal device, the target application program. configuring, by the terminal device, a correspondence between a controlled device identifier and an application program, wherein the controlled device identifier is used to identify a to-be-controlled device, the response signal carries a controlled device identifier of the to-be-controlled device, the application program is installed on the terminal device, and the application program comprises the target application program; and the starting, by the terminal device according to the response signal, the target application program corresponding to the to-be-controlled device comprises: obtaining, by the terminal device, the controlled device identifier in the response signal, and querying, in the correspondence, the target application program corresponding to the controlled device identifier; and starting, by the terminal device, the target application program. obtaining, by the terminal device, the controlled device identifier in the response signal, and querying, in the correspondence, the target application program corresponding to the controlled device identifier; and starting, by the terminal device, the target application program.