This application provides a display method and a device and relates to the field of communications technologies, so as to display different content on a terminal and an external display apparatus. A specific solution includes: displaying, by the terminal, a first screen, and instructing the external display apparatus to display a first desktop including a first application but not including a second application, where the first screen is different from the first desktop; and displaying, by the terminal in response to a first input of a user on the first screen, a second screen including the first application and the second application on the terminal, and instructing the external display apparatus to display a second desktop including the first application and the second application.