This application provides a display screen backlight control method, a display screen backlight control apparatus, and a terminal. The method includes determining a backlight to-be-switched-on region of a display screen according to an operation on the display screen, determining a specified to-be-lighted light source according to the backlight to-be-switched-on region, and lighting the specified to-be-lighted light source and illuminating at least the backlight to-be-switched on region of the display screen while maintaining other light sources associated with region outside of the backlight to-be-switched-on region in an unilluminated state.