A secure element (SE) applet installation method, applied to a user terminal with a trusted execution environment (TEE) and an SE, and the TEE is provided with a trusted application (TA). The SE applet installation method includes obtaining, by the TA, an SE applet command package after the user terminal receives an installation request instructing the TA to obtain the SE applet command package, parsing, by the TA, the SE applet command package to obtain target signaling included in the SE applet command package, where the target signaling being used to install a target SE applet, and sending, by the TA, the target signaling to the SE to install the target SE applet according to the target signaling.