A permission control method and apparatus for a terminal device, where the method includes: acquiring, in response to detecting a login operation of the target user on the target application, from the server, a permission control code of the target user for the target application; processing the permission control code into at least one permission code, the permission code being used to indicate that a user has a use permission for a corresponding functionality of the target application; and controlling, on the basis of the at least one permission code, the use of at least one functionality of the target application by the target user.