An image recognition method and a terminal, where the method includes obtaining, by the terminal, an image file including a target object recognizing, by the terminal, the target object based on an image recognition model in the terminal using a neural network computation apparatus in the terminal to obtain object category information of the target object, and storing, by the terminal, the object category information in the image file as first label information of the target object. Hence, image recognition efficiency of the terminal can be improved, and privacy of a terminal user can be effectively protected.