Provided are an electronic device wherein an application can be started up easily using text and so forth displayed in a display unit, and a method of controlling same. A start-up unit uses inputted text to start up an application which executes various functions. If text being displayed on the display unit has been selected as a result of a detection unit detecting that contact has been made to a region in which any of the text characters of the same text is displayed, an application control unit causes the display unit to display an application start-up display to which an application is associated.