The embodiment of the invention provides a control method and device which is applied to an electronic device. The electronic device comprises a display unit, and the display unit is made of a flexible material and can be bent within a preset angle range. The control method comprises the steps of detecting the portion bent relative to a reference plane in the display unit, wherein the reference plane is a plane parallel to the display unit when the display unit is not bent; determining a first display area corresponding to the bent portion of the display unit; obtaining a currently-operating application program of the electronic device; displaying an identification of the currently-operating application program displayed in the first display area. The control method and device fully utilize the characteristics of a flexible screen, enables the flexible screen to play a good role and improves the utilization rate.