A method for switching pages of applications in a terminal device, comprising: displaying a hint control on a side of a screen of the terminal device when a first unread message is received, wherein the hint control is used to indicate that the first unread message exists in a first application, and the hint control comprises at least part of content of the first unread message; receiving a second signal which is generated in accordance with a second designated operation performed on the hint control; simultaneously displaying a virtual system bar and a first application page of the first application on the terminal device in accordance with the second signal, wherein the virtual system bar is a display area located on an edge of a screen of the terminal device and is configured to display a first display control corresponding to a first contact who sends the first unread message, and the first application page is used to display full content of the first unread message for the first application; displaying a page display control (321, 322, 323), in addition to the first display control, in the virtual system bar when a second unread message exists in a second application, wherein the page display control corresponds to a second contact who sends the second unread message; receiving a first signal which is generated in accordance with a first designated operation performed on the page display control; and switching the first application page into a second application page corresponding to the page display control in accordance with the first signal for display, wherein the second application page is used to display full content of the second unread message corresponding to the page display control; receiving a sixth signal which is generated in accordance with a sixth designated operation performed on the virtual system bar; dividing the screen into at least two sub-display areas in accordance with the sixth signal, wherein the at least two sub-display areas comprise a first sub-display area and a second sub-display area; displaying a currently displayed application page fully in the first sub-display area of the at least two sub-display areas, wherein the currently displayed application page is the first application page or the second application page; and displaying a start page fully in the second sub-display area of the at least two sub-display areas, wherein the start page is a last page displayed before the second signal is received. displaying a hint control on a side of a screen of the terminal device when a first unread message is received, wherein the hint control is used to indicate that the first unread message exists in a first application, and the hint control comprises at least part of content of the first unread message; receiving a second signal which is generated in accordance with a second designated operation performed on the hint control; simultaneously displaying a virtual system bar and a first application page of the first application on the terminal device in accordance with the second signal, wherein the virtual system bar is a display area located on an edge of a screen of the terminal device and is configured to display a first display control corresponding to a first contact who sends the first unread message, and the first application page is used to display full content of the first unread message for the first application; displaying a page display control (321, 322, 323), in addition to the first display control, in the virtual system bar when a second unread message exists in a second application, wherein the page display control corresponds to a second contact who sends the second unread message; receiving a first signal which is generated in accordance with a first designated operation performed on the page display control; and switching the first application page into a second application page corresponding to the page display control in accordance with the first signal for display, wherein the second application page is used to display full content of the second unread message corresponding to the page display control; receiving a sixth signal which is generated in accordance with a sixth designated operation performed on the virtual system bar; dividing the screen into at least two sub-display areas in accordance with the sixth signal, wherein the at least two sub-display areas comprise a first sub-display area and a second sub-display area; displaying a currently displayed application page fully in the first sub-display area of the at least two sub-display areas, wherein the currently displayed application page is the first application page or the second application page; and displaying a start page fully in the second sub-display area of the at least two sub-display areas, wherein the start page is a last page displayed before the second signal is received.