A method for scaling down an effective display area of a screen, comprising: displaying, by a mobile terminal, first content; obtaining, by the mobile terminal, a first operation, wherein the first operation is an operation performed by a single finger of a user on the mobile terminal; when the first operation satisfies a preset condition, sensing, by the mobile terminal, a second operation, wherein the second operation is a continuous operation performed by the user on the mobile terminal; determining, by the mobile terminal according to a preset correspondence, a scale-down proportion corresponding to the second operation; and continuously scaling down, by the mobile terminal, an effective display area of a screen of the mobile terminal according to the scale-down proportion, so that the first content is displayed on a scaled-down effective display area; when the first operation satisfies the preset condition, the method further comprises: monitoring, by the mobile terminal, a left-right levelness of the mobile terminal, wherein the left-right levelness represents an angle between the horizontal line and a line that is perpendicular to a left edge and a right edge of the mobile terminal; and in a range of 0 degree to 180 degrees, when the left-right levelness is less than 90 degrees, switching, by the mobile terminal, the effective display area of the screen to a lower left corner of the screen; or when the left-right levelness is greater than 90 degrees, switching, by the mobile terminal, the effective display area of the screen to a lower right corner of the screen. displaying, by a mobile terminal, first content; obtaining, by the mobile terminal, a first operation, wherein the first operation is an operation performed by a single finger of a user on the mobile terminal; when the first operation satisfies a preset condition, sensing, by the mobile terminal, a second operation, wherein the second operation is a continuous operation performed by the user on the mobile terminal; determining, by the mobile terminal according to a preset correspondence, a scale-down proportion corresponding to the second operation; and continuously scaling down, by the mobile terminal, an effective display area of a screen of the mobile terminal according to the scale-down proportion, so that the first content is displayed on a scaled-down effective display area; when the first operation satisfies the preset condition, the method further comprises: monitoring, by the mobile terminal, a left-right levelness of the mobile terminal, wherein the left-right levelness represents an angle between the horizontal line and a line that is perpendicular to a left edge and a right edge of the mobile terminal; and in a range of 0 degree to 180 degrees, when the left-right levelness is less than 90 degrees, switching, by the mobile terminal, the effective display area of the screen to a lower left corner of the screen; or when the left-right levelness is greater than 90 degrees, switching, by the mobile terminal, the effective display area of the screen to a lower right corner of the screen. monitoring, by the mobile terminal, a left-right levelness of the mobile terminal, wherein the left-right levelness represents an angle between the horizontal line and a line that is perpendicular to a left edge and a right edge of the mobile terminal; and in a range of 0 degree to 180 degrees, when the left-right levelness is less than 90 degrees, switching, by the mobile terminal, the effective display area of the screen to a lower left corner of the screen; or when the left-right levelness is greater than 90 degrees, switching, by the mobile terminal, the effective display area of the screen to a lower right corner of the screen.