A class unloading method comprises: loading, by an electronic device, n classes after an application is started, where n is a positive integer; generating a reference mapping table, where the reference mapping table includes a reference relationship between the n classes and m class objects corresponding to the n classes and a dependency relationship between the m class objects corresponding to the n classes, the dependency relationship is used to represent an interdependency mapping relationship between different class objects, and m is a positive integer greater than or equal to n; and unloading a first class of the n classes based on the reference mapping table in an operation process of the application.