A method for starting an application program, the method being executed by a terminal comprising a sliding cover and a device body slidably connected with each other, the method comprising the following steps: during a running process of a target application program, detecting a first movement of the sliding cover relative to the device body; obtaining a first sliding information of the sliding cover based on the first movement when a preset target interface of the target application program is displayed; starting a first application program when the first sliding information indicates that the sliding cover performs a preset sliding movement; displaying a first target information of the first application program in a suspension window which is popped up in the preset target interface of the target application program; detecting a second movement of the sliding cover relative to the device body; obtaining a second sliding information of the sliding cover based on the second movement; exiting the first application program when the second sliding information indicates that the sliding cover performs a sliding movement different from the preset sliding movement; after exiting the first application program, outputting an inquiry information, wherein the inquiry information is to inquire whether a user starts a second application program, and the second application program is associated with the first application program, and wherein the terminal performs statistics on historic usage information of each application program used immediately following the exit of the first application program when the preset target interface of the target application program is displayed in a historic period, and takes an application program with the historic usage information satisfying a preset usage condition as the second application program; starting the second application program when an instruction from the user to confirm starting the second application program is received; and displaying a second target information of the second application program. during a running process of a target application program, detecting a first movement of the sliding cover relative to the device body; obtaining a first sliding information of the sliding cover based on the first movement when a preset target interface of the target application program is displayed; starting a first application program when the first sliding information indicates that the sliding cover performs a preset sliding movement; displaying a first target information of the first application program in a suspension window which is popped up in the preset target interface of the target application program; detecting a second movement of the sliding cover relative to the device body; obtaining a second sliding information of the sliding cover based on the second movement; exiting the first application program when the second sliding information indicates that the sliding cover performs a sliding movement different from the preset sliding movement; after exiting the first application program, outputting an inquiry information, wherein the inquiry information is to inquire whether a user starts a second application program, and the second application program is associated with the first application program, and wherein the terminal performs statistics on historic usage information of each application program used immediately following the exit of the first application program when the preset target interface of the target application program is displayed in a historic period, and takes an application program with the historic usage information satisfying a preset usage condition as the second application program; starting the second application program when an instruction from the user to confirm starting the second application program is received; and displaying a second target information of the second application program.