The invention discloses an application icon display method and apparatus, and aims to solve the problem of relatively low application search efficiency of users in an existing application icon displaymethod. The method comprises the steps of receiving a display instruction for an application icon; setting one icon index region and at least one icon display region in different display positions ofa terminal, and displaying at least one application group tag in the icon index region, wherein each application group tag has a corresponding relationship with a group containing at least one application; and receiving a startup instruction for a target application group tag, and displaying the icon of the application corresponding to the target application group tag in a target icon display region.