A terminal control method, wherein the method comprises: when a screen of a terminal is switched from a screen-on state to a screen-off state, detecting whether a power saving mode is in an enabled state; wherein the terminal provides a setting option corresponding to the power saving mode and when the setting option is active, the power saving mode is enabled and when the setting option is inactive, the power saving mode is not enabled; and if the power saving mode is in an enabled state, performing a power saving operation, wherein the power saving operation is used to reduce power consumption that occurs when an application program in the terminal runs in a background; wherein the performing a power saving operation comprises performing the following operation: stopping a first-type application program; wherein after the stopping the first-type application program, the method further comprises: prohibiting automatic start of the stopped first-type application program; wherein the prohibiting automatic start of the stopped first-type application program comprises: intercepting a broadcast message sent to the stopped first-type application program, so as to prohibit the broadcast message from triggering the first-type application program to start. when a screen of a terminal is switched from a screen-on state to a screen-off state, detecting whether a power saving mode is in an enabled state; wherein the terminal provides a setting option corresponding to the power saving mode and when the setting option is active, the power saving mode is enabled and when the setting option is inactive, the power saving mode is not enabled; and if the power saving mode is in an enabled state, performing a power saving operation, wherein the power saving operation is used to reduce power consumption that occurs when an application program in the terminal runs in a background; wherein the performing a power saving operation comprises performing the following operation: stopping a first-type application program; wherein after the stopping the first-type application program, the method further comprises: prohibiting automatic start of the stopped first-type application program; wherein the prohibiting automatic start of the stopped first-type application program comprises: intercepting a broadcast message sent to the stopped first-type application program, so as to prohibit the broadcast message from triggering the first-type application program to start. stopping a first-type application program; wherein after the stopping the first-type application program, the method further comprises: prohibiting automatic start of the stopped first-type application program; wherein the prohibiting automatic start of the stopped first-type application program comprises: intercepting a broadcast message sent to the stopped first-type application program, so as to prohibit the broadcast message from triggering the first-type application program to start. prohibiting automatic start of the stopped first-type application program; wherein the prohibiting automatic start of the stopped first-type application program comprises: intercepting a broadcast message sent to the stopped first-type application program, so as to prohibit the broadcast message from triggering the first-type application program to start.