The invention discloses a preparation method and an application method of granular activated carbon for xylose decoloring, which belongs to the field of preparation methods and application methods of activated carbon. The preparation method comprises the following steps: (A) preparing raw materials, namely, weighing phosphoric acid method powder activated carbon made from saw dust, an acrylic emulsion and water according to a ratio of acrylic emulsion to phosphoric acid method powder activated carbon to water being (0.37-0.39):1:1; (B) mixing the raw materials, namely, mixing the weighed raw materials and sufficiently stirring till the granules are uniformly mixed; (C) forming granules, namely, extruding the uniformly mixed raw materials to form granules by using a pelletizing machine at the constant temperature of 90 DEG C, so as to make granules with the particle size of 2-5mm, cooling the granules to be 40-50 DEG C, and drying; (E) separating and cooling. The granular activated carbon prepared by using the method is good in adsorption property, high in strength, acid-alkali resisting, recyclable and reusable, the liquid adsorption amount of unit volume is equivalent to that of other granular activated carbons, and the production environment is improved.