A permission management method, comprising: obtaining an installation package of a first application program, wherein the installation package carries a first certificate and permission request information of the first application program; determining, according to the permission request information, a first permission that the first application program requires during running, wherein the first permission is a system administrator permission of a system; and granting the first permission to the first application program according to the first certificate of the first application program; wherein the granting the first permission to the first application program according to the first certificate of the first application program comprises: determining (203, 304) whether a second certificate is stored in a trustworthy certificate list, wherein the second certificate is a certificate that is found in the trustworthy certificate list by using index information in the first certificate, and at least a certificate that allows to be granted to an application program is stored in the trustworthy certificate list; and if it is determined that the second certificate is stored in the trustworthy certificate list, granting (205, 305) the first permission to the first application program; if it is determined that the second certificate is not stored in the trustworthy certificate list, granting (207, 306) a second permission to the first application program, wherein the second permission is a permission that is opened to the first application program by a system developer and a mobile terminal manufacturer. obtaining an installation package of a first application program, wherein the installation package carries a first certificate and permission request information of the first application program; determining, according to the permission request information, a first permission that the first application program requires during running, wherein the first permission is a system administrator permission of a system; and granting the first permission to the first application program according to the first certificate of the first application program; wherein the granting the first permission to the first application program according to the first certificate of the first application program comprises: determining (203, 304) whether a second certificate is stored in a trustworthy certificate list, wherein the second certificate is a certificate that is found in the trustworthy certificate list by using index information in the first certificate, and at least a certificate that allows to be granted to an application program is stored in the trustworthy certificate list; and if it is determined that the second certificate is stored in the trustworthy certificate list, granting (205, 305) the first permission to the first application program; if it is determined that the second certificate is not stored in the trustworthy certificate list, granting (207, 306) a second permission to the first application program, wherein the second permission is a permission that is opened to the first application program by a system developer and a mobile terminal manufacturer. determining (203, 304) whether a second certificate is stored in a trustworthy certificate list, wherein the second certificate is a certificate that is found in the trustworthy certificate list by using index information in the first certificate, and at least a certificate that allows to be granted to an application program is stored in the trustworthy certificate list; and if it is determined that the second certificate is stored in the trustworthy certificate list, granting (205, 305) the first permission to the first application program; if it is determined that the second certificate is not stored in the trustworthy certificate list, granting (207, 306) a second permission to the first application program, wherein the second permission is a permission that is opened to the first application program by a system developer and a mobile terminal manufacturer.