A display method for an electronic device including a first display area and a second display area. In the method, the electronic device determines a first application mode, adjusts, based on the first application mode, intensity values of color channels, stored in a hardware composer (HWC), determines, using the HWC, each first layer corresponding to the first display area, and overlays, using the HWC, the first layer and a background color layer corresponding to adjusted intensity values of the color channels. In an overlay process, the background color layer is located below the first layer, and the background color layer corresponds to the second display area. Then, the display is used to display an overlaid image.