A method, an apparatus, and a terminal device for displaying an application message are provided. The method includes: extracting a logic controller that controls application message sending and receiving from an application; determining the extracted logic controller as a common controller object of the application and a desktop; creating a desktop instance object corresponding to the common controller object; and loading and displaying a set user interface component on the desktop by using the desktop instance object, and when the application has a new application message, displaying the new application message in the set user interface component by pulling the new application message by the logic controller. Embodiments of the present invention enable a user to view a new application message on the desktop more conveniently, and reduce power consumption of the terminal device.