A split-screen display method, wherein the method is applied to an electronic device having a touchscreen, the method comprising: obtaining a screen splitting touch signal entered by using the touchscreen, wherein the screen splitting touch signal comprises a horizontal slide signal along the touchscreen or a vertical slide signal along the touchscreen; and dividing, according to the horizontal slide signal, a current display area of the touchscreen into a first display window and a second display window arranged up and down; or, dividing, according to the vertical slide signal, a current display area of the touchscreen into a first display window and a second display window arranged side by side; characterized in that: an open button and prompt information are displayed in the first display window where the prompt information is used for prompting the user to click the open button to select a program to be opened; wherein the method further comprises: after clicking the open button, displaying icons of multiple application programs in the first display window; starting and displaying selected applications separately in the first and second display window after multiple applications are selected by clicking multiple icons in the first display window and then clicking a confirm button, wherein when the number N of the selected applications is greater than the number M of the divided display windows, and M and N are both positive integers; the method further comprises starting the selected applications according to a sequence in which the applications are selected, wherein each application program of first M started applications is separately displayed in one display window of the display windows, and last N-M selected applications run in the background. obtaining a screen splitting touch signal entered by using the touchscreen, wherein the screen splitting touch signal comprises a horizontal slide signal along the touchscreen or a vertical slide signal along the touchscreen; and dividing, according to the horizontal slide signal, a current display area of the touchscreen into a first display window and a second display window arranged up and down; or, dividing, according to the vertical slide signal, a current display area of the touchscreen into a first display window and a second display window arranged side by side; characterized in that: an open button and prompt information are displayed in the first display window where the prompt information is used for prompting the user to click the open button to select a program to be opened; wherein the method further comprises: after clicking the open button, displaying icons of multiple application programs in the first display window; starting and displaying selected applications separately in the first and second display window after multiple applications are selected by clicking multiple icons in the first display window and then clicking a confirm button, wherein when the number N of the selected applications is greater than the number M of the divided display windows, and M and N are both positive integers; the method further comprises starting the selected applications according to a sequence in which the applications are selected, wherein each application program of first M started applications is separately displayed in one display window of the display windows, and last N-M selected applications run in the background. after clicking the open button, displaying icons of multiple application programs in the first display window; starting and displaying selected applications separately in the first and second display window after multiple applications are selected by clicking multiple icons in the first display window and then clicking a confirm button, wherein when the number N of the selected applications is greater than the number M of the divided display windows, and M and N are both positive integers; the method further comprises starting the selected applications according to a sequence in which the applications are selected, wherein each application program of first M started applications is separately displayed in one display window of the display windows, and last N-M selected applications run in the background.