A method for decreasing an electromagnetic radiation specific absorption rate, comprising: separately collecting, by a terminal, a transmit power of the terminal at different time points in second duration after first duration from a power-on moment, to obtain at least two transmit powers; calculating, by the terminal, an average transmit power of the at least two transmit powers; determining, by the terminal based on the average transmit power, an electromagnetic radiation specific absorption rate, SAR corresponding to the average transmit power; and if the terminal determines that the SAR is greater than a preset threshold, decreasing a transmit power of the terminal after the second duration, comprising: calculating, by the terminal, a difference between the preset threshold and the SAR, and determining based on the difference, to decrease the transmit power after the second duration by a specified value; and decreasing, by the terminal, the transmit power after the second duration by the specified value; wherein the decreasing, by the terminal, the transmit power after the second duration by the specified value comprises applying two or more of the following manners simultaneously: decreasing, by the terminal, a maximum transmit power of a physical random access channel, PRACH by a first preset value; decreasing, by the terminal, power headroom reported to a network by a second preset value; increasing, by the terminal, a quantity of uplink hybrid automatic repeat request, HARQ times by a third preset value; decreasing, by the terminal, a total quantity of connections to a network device during soft handover by a fourth preset value; and decreasing, by the terminal, a codec data rate of a voice connection by a fifth preset value. separately collecting, by a terminal, a transmit power of the terminal at different time points in second duration after first duration from a power-on moment, to obtain at least two transmit powers; calculating, by the terminal, an average transmit power of the at least two transmit powers; determining, by the terminal based on the average transmit power, an electromagnetic radiation specific absorption rate, SAR corresponding to the average transmit power; and if the terminal determines that the SAR is greater than a preset threshold, decreasing a transmit power of the terminal after the second duration, comprising: calculating, by the terminal, a difference between the preset threshold and the SAR, and determining based on the difference, to decrease the transmit power after the second duration by a specified value; and decreasing, by the terminal, the transmit power after the second duration by the specified value; wherein the decreasing, by the terminal, the transmit power after the second duration by the specified value comprises applying two or more of the following manners simultaneously: decreasing, by the terminal, a maximum transmit power of a physical random access channel, PRACH by a first preset value; decreasing, by the terminal, power headroom reported to a network by a second preset value; increasing, by the terminal, a quantity of uplink hybrid automatic repeat request, HARQ times by a third preset value; decreasing, by the terminal, a total quantity of connections to a network device during soft handover by a fourth preset value; and decreasing, by the terminal, a codec data rate of a voice connection by a fifth preset value. decreasing, by the terminal, a maximum transmit power of a physical random access channel, PRACH by a first preset value; decreasing, by the terminal, power headroom reported to a network by a second preset value; increasing, by the terminal, a quantity of uplink hybrid automatic repeat request, HARQ times by a third preset value; decreasing, by the terminal, a total quantity of connections to a network device during soft handover by a fourth preset value; and decreasing, by the terminal, a codec data rate of a voice connection by a fifth preset value.