Application management method and apparatus

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide an application management method and apparatus, used for rationally controlling the use of electronic devices by underage users. The method comprises: running a first application; upon detecting a first operation for the first application, enabling a first mode, the first mode comprising a youth protection mode; running the first application in the first mode; and upon detecting a second operation of starting a second application, running the second application in the first mode.

Description

An application management method and device

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410808558.6, filed on June 20, 2024, entitled “An Application Management Method and Apparatus”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of terminal technology, and in particular to an application management method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0004] With the development of the information age, the functions of electronic devices have gradually become more sophisticated. Taking mobile phones as an example, users can use them to play games, watch videos, search for learning materials, and take online classes.

[0005] Currently, to control minors' use of electronic devices, usage time and / or time periods can be set. However, after the usage time expires, or during non-usable periods, minors cannot use electronic devices. This means that if minors spend a significant amount of time on entertainment (such as playing games), they may be unable to use electronic devices for learning-related activities. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides an application management method and apparatus for reasonably controlling the use of electronic devices by underage users.

[0007] Firstly, an application management method is provided, which can be applied to electronic devices, including those running Harmony OS or other operating systems such as Android. The method includes: running a first application; detecting a first operation on the first application and activating a first mode, the first mode including a youth protection mode; running the first application in the first mode; and detecting a second operation to activate a second application and running the second application in the first mode.

[0008] In this embodiment, when the electronic device detects that a youth protection mode is enabled for the first application, the first application can be run in youth protection mode. When a second application is enabled that can also be run in youth protection mode, the second application can also be run directly in youth protection mode. The user does not need to re-enable youth protection mode for the second application. That is, the user can enable youth protection mode for multiple applications by enabling youth protection mode once, which helps to improve the efficiency of enabling youth protection mode, thereby improving application management efficiency and user experience.

[0009] In one possible implementation, before running the second application in the first mode, the method further includes: notifying the second application to run the second application in the first mode.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the second application is an application running in the background, or the second application is an application that was not started when the first mode was enabled.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the second application is an application that was not started when the first mode was enabled. Before notifying the second application to run the second application in the first mode, the method further includes: receiving a second message from the second application, the second message being used to query whether to run in the first mode.

[0012] In one possible implementation, notifying the second application to run the second application in the first mode includes: sending a first message to the second application, the first message being used to notify the second application to run the second application in the first mode.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the first message includes the age and / or a first identifier of a first user, who is a user using the electronic device after enabling the first mode. The first identifier is used to instruct the second application to run in the first mode. Sending age information to the application makes the content displayed by the application age-related, that is, the displayed content is more in line with the user's viewing needs.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: after activating the first mode, determining the attributes of a third application, and managing the third application based on the attributes, wherein the third application is not connected to the framework service corresponding to the first mode. This allows for the management of applications not connected to the minor protection framework, helping to improve application management efficiency.

[0015] In one possible implementation, controlling the third application based on the attribute includes: if the attribute does not match the first user and the third application is a background application, exiting background operation, where the first user is the user who uses the electronic device after enabling the first mode; if the attribute matches the first user and the third application is an application that was not started when the first mode was enabled, not responding to the operation of starting the third application.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: displaying the first mode on the settings application's interface after the first mode is activated. This helps users quickly determine the current mode of the electronic device, resulting in a better user experience.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: in response to a third operation on the settings application, displaying at least one application on a first interface of the settings application, the at least one application including the first application and the second application.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the at least one application further includes a third application that is not connected to the framework service corresponding to the first mode.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: deleting a fourth application from the at least one application or adding a fifth application from the at least one application in response to a fourth operation based on the first interface.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: running the first application in the first mode; detecting a fifth operation for the first application, verifying the identity of a second user, wherein the second user is the user who performed the fifth operation; if the verification is successful, closing the first mode and running the first application in the second mode; detecting the second operation and running the second application in the second mode. When a user closes the first function, only one password verification is required, instead of multiple password verifications for each application, reducing the user's operation process and effectively improving the efficiency of closing the first function.

[0021] In one possible implementation, when the first application or the second application is running in the first mode, the content displayed on the interface of the first application or the second application is associated with the first mode.

[0022] Secondly, an application management method is provided, which can be applied to electronic devices, including those running Harmony OS or other operating systems such as Android. The method includes: detecting a first operation on a first application, activating a first mode, where the first application is a settings application and the first mode includes a youth protection mode; detecting a second operation to activate a second application, and running the second application in the first mode.

[0023] In this embodiment, multiple applications can be set to enable or disable a youth protection mode, allowing them to run in youth protection mode when switched to the foreground, rather than simply setting the phone's usage time or time period. This allows for more reasonable control over minors' use of electronic devices.

[0024] In one possible implementation, before running the second application in the first mode, the method further includes: notifying the second application to run the second application in the first mode.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the second application is an application running in the background, or the second application is an application that was not started when the first mode was enabled.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the second application is an application that was not started when the first mode was enabled. Before notifying the second application to run the second application in the first mode, the method further includes: receiving a second message from the second application, the second message being used to query whether to run in the first mode.

[0027] In one possible implementation, notifying the second application to run the second application in the first mode includes: sending a first message to the second application, the first message being used to notify the second application to run the second application in the first mode.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the first message includes the age and / or a first identifier of a first user, who is a user who uses the electronic device after enabling the first mode of operation, and the first identifier is used to instruct the second application to run the second application in the first mode.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: after enabling the first mode, determining the attributes of a third application, and controlling the third application according to the attributes, wherein the third application is not connected to the framework service corresponding to the first mode.

[0030] In one possible implementation, controlling the third application based on the attribute includes: if the attribute does not match the first user and the third application is a background application, exiting background operation, where the first user is the user who uses the electronic device after enabling the first mode; if the attribute matches the first user and the third application is an application that was not started when the first mode was enabled, not responding to the operation of starting the third application.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: displaying the first mode on the interface of the first application after the first mode is enabled.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: in response to a third operation on the settings application, displaying at least one application on a first interface of the first application, the at least one application including the first application and the second application.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the at least one application further includes a third application that is not connected to the framework service corresponding to the first mode.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: deleting a fourth application from the at least one application or adding a fifth application from the at least one application in response to a fourth operation based on the first interface.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: detecting a fifth operation for the first application, verifying the identity of a second user, wherein the second user is the user who performed the fifth operation; if the verification is successful, closing the first mode; and detecting the second operation, running the second application in the second mode.

[0036] In one possible implementation, when the second application runs in the first mode, the content displayed on the interface of the second application is associated with the first mode.

[0037] Thirdly, a communication device is provided, which can be an electronic device or a chip or chip system used in an electronic device. The communication device includes a communication interface and a processor, and optionally, a memory. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor is coupled to the memory and the communication interface. When the processor reads the computer program or instructions, it causes the communication device to execute the methods described in the first or second aspect, which are performed by the electronic device.

[0038] Fourthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided for storing a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods provided in the first or second aspect above.

[0039] Fifthly, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method described in the first or second aspect above.

[0040] A sixth aspect provides a graphical user interface for an electronic device, the electronic device having a display screen, a memory, and a processor, the processor being configured to execute one or more computer programs stored in the memory, the graphical user interface including a graphical user interface displayed when the electronic device performs the method described in the first or second aspect above.

[0041] A seventh aspect provides a chip system including a processor and an interface, the processor being configured to call and execute instructions from the interface to enable the chip system to implement the methods described in the first or second aspect above.

[0042] The beneficial effects of aspects two through seven mentioned above are the same as those of aspect one, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0043] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of a hardware structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 1B is a schematic diagram of a software structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 1C is a schematic diagram of another software structure of the electronic device provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 1D is a schematic diagram of another software structure of the electronic device provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the user graphical interface of a mobile phone provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the user graphical interface of a mobile phone provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating an application management method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the user graphical interface of a mobile phone provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the user graphical interface of a mobile phone provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating another application management method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figures 8 to 10 are flowcharts illustrating several application management methods provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0054] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device provided in the embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0055] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0056] The following explanations of some terms used in the embodiments of this application are provided to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0057] The applications (APPs) involved in the embodiments of this application are software programs capable of performing one or more specific functions. Typically, multiple applications can be installed on a terminal. Examples include camera applications, gallery applications, SMS applications, MMS applications, and various email applications. The applications mentioned below can be those pre-installed at the terminal's factory or those downloaded by the user from the network or obtained from other terminals during terminal use.

[0058] In this embodiment of the application, when starting or stopping the first function, a user selection may be required, which involves a user selection interface (also known as a user candidate interface). The user candidate interface can display information about multiple users (such as names or nicknames) for the user to choose from, for example, the interface shown in Figure 5(c) below. Furthermore, in managing applications, this embodiment of the application may involve adding or removing applications, which involves an application management interface. The application management interface can display multiple applications, for example, interface 603 shown in Figure 6(b) below.

[0059] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or," for example, A / B can mean A or B; "and / or" in this text is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Furthermore, in the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" refers to two or more than two.

[0060] Hereinafter, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this embodiment, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0061] The following describes an electronic device, a graphical user interface (GUI) for such an electronic device, and embodiments for using such an electronic device. In some embodiments of this application, the electronic device may be a mobile phone, tablet computer, wearable device (smartwatch), extended reality (XR) device, etc. This application does not limit the specific type of electronic device. In this application embodiment, a mobile phone is used as an example of an electronic device.

[0062] Typically, electronic devices can support a variety of applications. These may include one or more of the following: camera applications, instant messaging applications, photo management applications, and entertainment applications. Entertainment applications, in particular, can take many forms, such as short video applications, game applications, and browser applications.

[0063] Please refer to Figure 1A, which is a structural diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0064] The electronic device may include a processor 110, an external memory interface 120, an internal memory 121, a universal serial bus (USB) interface 130, a charging management module 140, a power management module 141, a battery 142, an antenna 1, an antenna 2, a mobile communication module 150, a wireless communication module 160, an audio module 170, a speaker 170A, a receiver 170B, a microphone 170C, a headphone jack 170D, a sensor module 180, buttons 190, a motor 191, an indicator 192, a camera 193, a display screen 194, and a subscriber identification module (SIM) card interface 195, etc. The sensor module 180 may include a pressure sensor 180A, a gyroscope sensor 180B, a barometric pressure sensor 180C, a magnetic sensor 180D, an accelerometer sensor 180E, a distance sensor 180F, a proximity sensor 180G, a fingerprint sensor 180H, a temperature sensor 180J, a touch sensor 180K, an ambient light sensor 180L, a bone conduction sensor 180M, etc.

[0065] Processor 110 may include one or more processing units, such as an application processor (AP), a modem processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a controller, memory, a video codec, a digital signal processor (DSP), a baseband processor, and / or a neural network processing unit (NPU). Different processing units may be independent devices or integrated into one or more processors. The controller may serve as the nerve center and command center of the electronic device. The controller can generate operation control signals based on instruction opcodes and timing signals to control instruction fetching and execution. Processor 110 may also include memory for storing instructions and data. In some embodiments, the memory in processor 110 is a cache memory. This memory can store instructions or data that processor 110 has just used or is repeatedly used. If processor 110 needs to reuse the instruction or data, it can directly retrieve it from the memory. This avoids repeated access, reduces the waiting time of processor 110, and thus improves system efficiency.

[0066] USB interface 130 is a USB standard compliant interface, specifically a Mini USB interface, Micro USB interface, USB Type-C interface, etc. USB interface 130 can be used to connect a charger to charge electronic devices, and can also be used for data transfer between electronic devices and peripheral devices. Charging management module 140 receives charging input from the charger. Power management module 141 connects to battery 142, charging management module 140, and processor 110. Power management module 141 receives input from battery 142 and / or charging management module 140, providing power to processor 110, internal memory 121, external memory interface 120, display screen 194, camera 193, and wireless communication module 160, etc.

[0067] The wireless communication function of the electronic device can be implemented through antenna 1, antenna 2, mobile communication module 150, wireless communication module 160, modem processor, and baseband processor. Antenna 1 and antenna 2 are used to transmit and receive electromagnetic wave signals. Each antenna in the electronic device can be used to cover one or more communication frequency bands. Different antennas can also be reused to improve antenna utilization. For example, antenna 1 can be reused as a diversity antenna for a wireless local area network. In some other embodiments, the antenna can be used in conjunction with a tuning switch.

[0068] The mobile communication module 150 can provide solutions for wireless communication applications including 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G in electronic devices. The mobile communication module 150 may include at least one filter, switch, power amplifier, low noise amplifier (LNA), etc. The mobile communication module 150 can receive electromagnetic waves via antenna 1, and perform filtering, amplification, and other processing on the received electromagnetic waves before transmitting them to a modem processor for demodulation. The mobile communication module 150 can also amplify the signal modulated by the modem processor and convert it into electromagnetic waves for radiation via antenna 1. In some embodiments, at least some functional modules of the mobile communication module 150 may be housed in processor 110. In some embodiments, at least some functional modules of the mobile communication module 150 and at least some modules of the processor 110 may be housed in the same device.

[0069] The wireless communication module 160 can provide solutions for wireless communication applications in electronic devices, including wireless local area networks (WLANs) (such as wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) networks), Bluetooth (BT), global navigation satellite system (GNSS), frequency modulation (FM), near field communication (NFC), and infrared (IR) technologies. The wireless communication module 160 can be one or more devices integrating at least one communication processing module. The wireless communication module 160 receives electromagnetic waves via antenna 2, performs frequency modulation and filtering of the electromagnetic wave signals, and sends the processed signal to processor 110. The wireless communication module 160 can also receive signals to be transmitted from processor 110, perform frequency modulation and amplification, and convert them into electromagnetic waves for radiation via antenna 2.

[0070] In some embodiments, antenna 1 of the electronic device is coupled to mobile communication module 150, and antenna 2 is coupled to wireless communication module 160, enabling the electronic device to communicate with networks and other devices via wireless communication technology. The wireless communication technology may include Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Time-Division Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), BT, GNSS, WLAN, NFC, FM, and / or IR technologies. The GNSS may include Global Positioning System (GPS), Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), and / or Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS).

[0071] Display screen 194 is used to display the application's display interface, etc. Display screen 194 includes a display panel. The display panel can be a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED), a flexible light-emitting diode (FLED), a Mini LED, a MicroLED, a Micro-OLED, a quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED), etc. In some embodiments, the electronic device may include one or N displays 194, where N is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0072] Electronic devices can achieve shooting functions through ISP, camera 193, video codec, GPU, display 194 and application processor.

[0073] The ISP (Image Signal Processor) is used to process data fed back from the camera 193. For example, when taking a picture, the shutter is opened, and light is transmitted through the lens to the camera's photosensitive element. The light signal is converted into an electrical signal, and the camera's photosensitive element transmits the electrical signal to the ISP for processing, transforming it into an image visible to the naked eye. The ISP can also perform algorithmic optimization of image noise, brightness, and skin tone. The ISP can also optimize parameters such as exposure and color temperature of the shooting scene. In some embodiments, the ISP can be set in the camera 193.

[0074] Camera 193 is used to capture still images or videos. An object is projected onto a photosensitive element by generating an optical image through the lens. The photosensitive element can be a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) phototransistor. The photosensitive element converts the light signal into an electrical signal, which is then passed to an ISP for conversion into a digital image signal. The ISP outputs the digital image signal to a DSP for processing. The DSP converts the digital image signal into image signals in standard RGB, YUV, or other formats. In some embodiments, the electronic device may include one or N cameras 193, where N is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0075] Internal memory 121 can be used to store computer executable program code, which includes instructions. Processor 110 executes various functional applications and data processing of the electronic device by running the instructions stored in internal memory 121. Internal memory 121 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store the operating system and software code for at least one application (e.g., iQiyi application, WeChat application, etc.). The data storage area may store data generated during the use of the electronic device (e.g., images, videos, etc.). Furthermore, internal memory 121 may include high-speed random access memory and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, universal flash storage (UFS), etc.

[0076] The external storage interface 120 can be used to connect an external memory card, such as a Micro SD card, to expand the storage capacity of the electronic device. The external memory card communicates with the processor 110 through the external storage interface 120 to perform data storage functions. For example, images, videos, and other files can be saved on the external memory card.

[0077] Electronic devices can implement audio functions such as music playback and recording through audio modules 170, speakers 170A, receivers 170B, microphones 170C, headphone jacks 170D, and application processors.

[0078] Pressure sensor 180A is used to sense pressure signals and can convert the pressure signals into electrical signals. In some embodiments, pressure sensor 180A may be disposed on display screen 194. Gyroscope sensor 180B can be used to determine the motion posture of electronic device. In some embodiments, angular velocity of electronic device about three axes (i.e., x, y, and z axes) can be determined by gyroscope sensor 180B.

[0079] The gyroscope sensor 180B can be used for image stabilization. The barometric pressure sensor 180C is used to measure air pressure. In some embodiments, the electronic device calculates altitude using the air pressure value measured by the barometric pressure sensor 180C, assisting in positioning and navigation. The magnetic sensor 180D includes a Hall effect sensor. The electronic device can use the magnetic sensor 180D to detect the opening and closing of the flip cover. In some embodiments, when the electronic device is a flip phone, it can detect the opening and closing of the flip cover using the magnetic sensor 180D. Based on the detected opening and closing state of the cover or the flip cover, features such as automatic flip unlocking can be set. The accelerometer sensor 180E can detect the magnitude of the acceleration of the electronic device in various directions (generally three axes). When the electronic device is stationary, it can detect the magnitude and direction of gravity. It can also be used to identify the posture of the electronic device, applicable to applications such as screen orientation switching and pedometers.

[0080] A proximity sensor 180F is used to measure distance. The electronic device can measure distance using infrared or laser. In some embodiments, during a shooting scene, the electronic device can utilize the proximity sensor 180F for distance measurement to achieve fast focusing. A proximity sensor 180G may include, for example, a light-emitting diode (LED) and a light detector, such as a photodiode. The LED may be an infrared LED. The electronic device emits infrared light outward through the LED. The electronic device uses the photodiode to detect infrared reflected light from nearby objects. When sufficient reflected light is detected, it can be determined that an object is near the electronic device. When insufficient reflected light is detected, the electronic device can determine that no object is near the electronic device. The electronic device can use the proximity sensor 180G to detect when a user holds the electronic device close to their ear for a call, so as to automatically turn off the screen to save power. The proximity sensor 180G can also be used in holster mode and pocket mode for automatic unlocking and screen locking.

[0081] The ambient light sensor 180L is used to sense ambient light intensity. Electronic devices can adaptively adjust the brightness of the display 194 based on the sensed ambient light. The ambient light sensor 180L can also be used to automatically adjust the white balance when taking photos. The ambient light sensor 180L can also work with the proximity sensor 180G to detect whether the electronic device is in a pocket, preventing accidental touches. The fingerprint sensor 180H is used to collect fingerprints. Electronic devices can use the collected fingerprint characteristics to achieve fingerprint unlocking, app access lock, fingerprint photography, fingerprint answering of calls, etc.

[0082] Temperature sensor 180J is used to detect temperature. In some embodiments, the electronic device uses the temperature detected by temperature sensor 180J to execute a temperature handling strategy. For example, when the temperature reported by temperature sensor 180J exceeds a threshold, the electronic device reduces the performance of a processor located near temperature sensor 180J to reduce power consumption and implement thermal protection. In other embodiments, when the temperature is below another threshold, the electronic device heats battery 142 to prevent abnormal shutdown of the electronic device due to low temperature. In still other embodiments, when the temperature is below yet another threshold, the electronic device boosts the output voltage of battery 142 to prevent abnormal shutdown due to low temperature.

[0083] Touch sensor 180K, also known as a "touch panel," can be located on display screen 194. The touch sensor 180K and display screen 194 together form a touchscreen, also known as a "touchscreen." Touch sensor 180K detects touch operations applied to or near it. The touch sensor can transmit the detected touch operation to the application processor to determine the type of touch event. Visual output related to the touch operation can be provided through display screen 194. In other embodiments, touch sensor 180K may also be located on the surface of the electronic device, in a different position than display screen 194.

[0084] The bone conduction sensor 180M can acquire vibration signals. In some embodiments, the bone conduction sensor 180M can acquire vibration signals from vibrating bone fragments in the human vocal cords. The bone conduction sensor 180M can also contact the human pulse to receive blood pressure signals.

[0085] Buttons 190 include a power button, volume buttons, etc. Buttons 190 can be mechanical buttons or touch buttons. The electronic device can receive button inputs and generate key signal inputs related to user settings and function control. Motor 191 can generate vibration alerts. Motor 191 can be used for incoming call vibration alerts or for touch vibration feedback. For example, different vibration feedback effects can correspond to touch operations applied to different applications (such as taking photos, audio playback, etc.). Indicator 192 can be an indicator light, used to indicate charging status, battery level changes, or messages, missed calls, notifications, etc. SIM card interface 195 is used to connect a SIM card. The SIM card can be inserted into or removed from the SIM card interface 195 to achieve contact and separation with the electronic device.

[0086] It is understood that the components shown in Figure 1A do not constitute a specific limitation on the electronic device. In other embodiments of this application, the electronic device may include more or fewer components than those in Figure 1A, or combine some components, or split some components, or have different component arrangements. The illustrated components may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0087] In some embodiments, the software system of an electronic device may adopt a layered architecture, event-driven architecture, microkernel architecture, microservice architecture, or cloud architecture. The following embodiments use the layered architecture Android system as an example to illustrate the software structure of an electronic device.

[0088] Figure 1B is a software structure block diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. The layered architecture divides the software into several layers, each with a clear role and division of labor. The layers communicate with each other through software interfaces.

[0089] In some embodiments, the Android system can be divided into four layers, from top to bottom: the application layer, the application framework layer, the Android runtime and system libraries, and the kernel layer. The application layer can include a series of application packages. As shown in Figure 1B, application packages can include applications such as camera, gallery, calendar, call, map, navigation, WLAN, Bluetooth, music, video, and SMS. The application framework layer provides application programming interfaces (APIs) and programming frameworks for the applications in the application layer. The application framework layer includes some predefined functions.

[0090] As shown in Figure 1B, the application framework layer may include a window manager, a content provider, a view system, a phone manager, a resource manager, and a notification manager. The window manager manages window programs. It can obtain the screen size, determine if a status bar is present, lock the screen, and capture the screen. The content provider stores and retrieves data, making this data accessible to applications. This data may include videos, images, audio, dialed and received phone calls, browsing history and bookmarks, and phone books. The view system includes visual controls, such as controls for displaying text and controls for displaying images. The view system can be used to build applications. The display interface can consist of one or more views. For example, a display interface including a text notification icon may include a view for displaying text and a view for displaying images. The phone manager provides communication functions for electronic devices, such as managing call status (including connection and disconnection). The resource manager provides various resources for applications, such as localized strings, icons, images, layout files, video files, etc. The notification manager allows applications to display notification information in the status bar, which can be used to convey informational messages and can disappear automatically after a short pause without user interaction. For example, the notification manager is used to notify users of download completions and message alerts. The notification manager can also display notifications as icons or scrolling text in the system's top status bar, such as notifications from background applications, or as dialog boxes on the screen. Examples include displaying text messages in the status bar, emitting alert sounds, causing electronic devices to vibrate, and flashing indicator lights.

[0091] The Android Runtime comprises the core libraries and the virtual machine. The Android Runtime is responsible for scheduling and managing the Android system. The core libraries consist of two parts: one part contains the functionalities that Java calls, and the other part is the core Android library itself. The application layer and application framework layer run in the virtual machine. The virtual machine executes the Java files of the application layer and application framework layer as binary files. The virtual machine is used for managing object lifecycles, stack management, thread management, security and exception management, and garbage collection, among other functions.

[0092] System libraries can include multiple functional modules. For example: surface manager, media libraries, 3D graphics processing libraries (e.g., OpenGL ES), 2D graphics engines (e.g., SGL), etc.

[0093] The Surface Manager manages the display subsystem and provides fusion of 2D and 3D layers for multiple applications.

[0094] The media library supports playback and recording of various common audio and video formats, as well as still image files. It supports multiple audio and video encoding formats, such as MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, and PNG.

[0095] The 3D graphics processing library is used to implement 3D graphics drawing, image rendering, compositing, and layer processing.

[0096] A 2D graphics engine is a graphics engine for 2D drawing.

[0097] The kernel layer is the layer between hardware and software. The kernel layer contains at least the display driver, camera driver, audio driver, and sensor driver.

[0098] Figure 1C is another software architecture block diagram of the electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, Harmony includes four layers, from bottom to top: kernel layer, system basic capability layer, framework layer, and application layer.

[0099] The Harmony system employs a multi-kernel design, optionally including the Linux kernel, the Harmony microkernel, and the Lite OS (a lite operating system for the Internet of Things). This design allows devices with varying capabilities to choose the appropriate system kernel. The kernel layer also includes a kernel abstraction layer (KAL), which provides foundational kernel capabilities to other Harmony layers, such as process management, thread management, memory management, file system management, network management, and peripheral device management.

[0100] The system's basic service layer is the core capability set of the Harmony system, enabling it to provide application services through a framework layer in multi-device deployment scenarios. This layer may optionally include the following components:

[0101] The system's basic capability subsystem set provides fundamental capabilities for the operation, scheduling, and migration of distributed applications across multiple devices within the Harmony system. It comprises a distributed soft bus, distributed data management and file management, distributed task scheduling, the Ark runtime, and distributed security and privacy protection. The Ark runtime provides a multi-language runtime for C / C++ / JavaScript and basic system class libraries, and also provides a runtime for Java programs statically generated using the Ark compiler (i.e., the parts of the application or framework layer developed using the Java language). The code for recording the call path in this embodiment can be implemented within the Ark runtime.

[0102] The basic software service subsystem suite provides common and general software services for the Harmony system. It comprises subsystems such as graphics and image processing, distributed media, distributed artificial intelligence (AI), multimodal input, mobile sensing development platform (MSDP) & device virtualization (DV), event notification, telephony services, and distributed DFX. Each subsystem can be customized to suit different device deployment environments, with each subsystem further tailored to its functional granularity.

[0103] Enhanced Software Service Subsystem Assembly: This assembly provides differentiated enhanced software services for various devices within the Harmony system. It comprises subsystems such as tablet business software, smart screen business software, in-vehicle business software, and Internet of Things (IoT) business software. The Enhanced Software Service Subsystem Assembly can be tailored to the deployment environment of different device types, with each subsystem further tailored to its functional granularity.

[0104] HarmonyDriver Framework (HDF) and Hardware Abstraction Adapter Layer (HAL): These form the foundation for the open hardware ecosystem of the Harmony system. They provide hardware capability abstraction at the top and development framework and runtime environment for various peripheral drivers at the bottom.

[0105] Hardware Service Subsystem Set: Provides common and adaptable hardware services for the Harmony system, consisting of hardware service subsystems such as general sensor, location, power, USB, and biometrics. The Hardware Service Subsystem Set can be tailored to the deployment environment of different device types, with each subsystem allowing for functional customization.

[0106] The proprietary hardware service subsystem provides differentiated hardware services for different devices within the Harmony system. Optional subsystems include proprietary hardware services for tablets, in-vehicle systems, wearables, and IoT devices. The proprietary hardware service subsystem can be tailored at the subsystem level, and each subsystem can be further customized at the functional level.

[0107] The framework layer provides Harmony system applications with user program frameworks and meta-capability frameworks in multiple languages ​​such as Java / C / C++ / JavaScript, as well as multi-language framework APIs for various software and hardware services. The application layer includes system applications and third-party applications, which can include applications such as camera, gallery, calendar, call, map, navigation, WLAN, Bluetooth, music, video, and SMS. Applications in the Harmony system are built upon meta-services PA and FA.

[0108] Please refer to Figure 1D, which is another software block diagram of the electronic device provided in this application embodiment. As shown in Figure 1D, the electronic device includes a minor protection framework, a control module, and multiple applications (i.e., application a, application b, and application c). The control module is connected to the minor protection framework, applications a and b are applications that are connected to the minor protection framework, and application c is an application that is not connected to the minor protection framework.

[0109] The minor protection framework can be included, for example, in the application framework layer shown in Figure 1B, or in the framework layer shown in Figure 1C. The minor protection framework can globally manage the youth protection mode, such as managing whether the youth protection mode is enabled, and which applications require the youth protection mode to be enabled. The minor protection framework includes a status query interface, a status operation interface, a password verification interface, and an age information query interface.

[0110] Status Query Interface: This provides the ability to query the status of the youth protection mode, i.e., whether the youth protection mode is enabled in the minor protection framework.

[0111] Status operation interface: Used to enable or disable the minor protection mode.

[0112] Password verification interface: Used to verify user permissions. Based on this password verification interface, users only need to verify their identity once to manage the youth protection mode of multiple applications, such as turning the youth protection mode of multiple applications on or off.

[0113] Age information query interface: used to query the age information of users using the youth protection mode, and / or to query the age information applicable to applications that can run in youth protection mode.

[0114] It is understood that the interfaces included in the above-mentioned minor protection framework are merely examples. In some embodiments, the minor protection framework may also include an application management interface for information interaction with applications. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0115] The management module works in conjunction with the minor protection framework to manage applications that are not connected to the minor protection framework (e.g., application c). For example, the management module can query age information from the minor protection framework, such as querying the user's age information and the applicable age information for the application through the minor protection framework's age query interface.

[0116] Taking application a's access to the minor protection framework as an example, application a can send a message (e.g., message 1) to the minor protection framework to indicate that it has the ability to operate in a youth protection mode. When the minor protection framework receives message 1, it can perform unified management of application a. The timing of application a sending message 1 to the minor protection framework can be when application a is installed, when application a is first launched, or at other times. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0117] Optionally, message 1 may also include an identifier for application a, such as the package name of application a or the name of application a. When the minor protection framework receives message 1, it may include the identifier of application a. Optionally, the minor protection framework may also add an identifier to application a to indicate that it has the ability to run in minor mode.

[0118] For ease of understanding, the following embodiments of this application will use an electronic device with the structure shown in Figures 1A-1D as an example to describe the application management method provided by the embodiments of this application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The implementation process of the technical solution of this application will be described below according to different application scenarios. In the following description, a mobile phone is used as an example of an electronic device.

[0119] Scenario 1 - Management of youth protection mode based on the currently running application

[0120] Taking a short video application as an example, as shown in Figure 2(a), the phone displays the short video application's interface 201, which includes controls 202. When the phone detects that the controls 202 have been triggered, it can display the interface 203 shown in Figure 2(b). When the phone detects that the user has triggered the youth protection mode operation in interface 203, it can display the interface 204 shown in Figure 2(c), where the user can trigger the activation or deactivation of youth protection mode. When the phone detects the activation or deactivation of youth protection mode, it can activate or deactivate youth protection mode for multiple applications, including the short video application and other applications running in the background that are configured to run in youth protection mode.

[0121] Taking the phone detecting and triggering the activation of the youth protection mode as an example, the phone can run the short video application in youth protection mode. When the user switches an application that is running in the background and has the ability to run in youth protection mode (such as a game application) to the foreground, the phone will run the game application in youth protection mode.

[0122] In Scenario 1, when the phone detects that a user has enabled the Youth Protection Mode based on a short video app, the app can run in Youth Protection Mode. Furthermore, when other apps that can run in Youth Protection Mode are switched to the foreground, they can also run in Youth Protection Mode directly. Users do not need to re-enable Youth Protection Mode for those other apps. In other words, by enabling Youth Protection Mode once, users can enable it for multiple apps, improving the efficiency of enabling Youth Protection Mode, thereby enhancing app management efficiency and improving user experience.

[0123] Scenario 2 - Management of Youth Protection Mode Based on Settings

[0124] Referring to Figure 3(a), the phone displays the main interface 301, which includes application icons for multiple applications (camera, gallery, calendar, settings, etc.). When the user turns the youth protection mode on or off, they can click the settings application icon 302 on the main interface 301. When the phone detects that the user has triggered the settings application icon 302, it can display the interface 303 shown in Figure 3(b).

[0125] When the phone detects that the user has triggered the "Healthy Use of Phone" operation on interface 303, it can display interface 304 as shown in Figure 3(c), where the user can turn the youth protection mode on or off. When the phone detects that the user has triggered the operation to turn the youth protection mode on or off, it can turn the youth protection mode on or off for one or more applications, including multiple applications running in the background that are configured to run in youth protection mode.

[0126] Taking the phone detecting the triggering of the youth protection mode as an example, when the user exits the settings and switches an application (such as a game application) that is running in the background and is designed to run in youth protection mode to the foreground, the phone will run the game application in youth protection mode.

[0127] In scenario 2, users can enable or disable the youth protection mode for multiple apps in the settings. This allows these apps to run in youth protection mode when they are switched to the foreground, rather than simply setting the phone's usage time or time period. This allows for more reasonable control over minors' use of electronic devices.

[0128] As previously described, embodiments of this application can enable a youth protection mode for multiple applications through settings or currently running applications. Please refer to Figure 4 below for an application management method provided by this application embodiment. This method can be implemented using the electronic device shown in Figure 1A or other electronic devices. The embodiment shown in Figure 4 uses scenario 1 above as an example.

[0129] S401: The electronic device detects a first operation for a first application and activates a first mode.

[0130] The first application can be the short video application described in scenario 1, or it can be other applications installed on the electronic device that have the ability to run in the first mode. The first application is the application that is currently running in the foreground of the electronic device.

[0131] The first mode may include a youth protection mode. The term "youth protection mode" is only one example of an embodiment of this application. In practical applications, other names may be used, such as "youth mode", "minor mode", "minor protection mode", etc. This embodiment of the application does not limit this.

[0132] The first operation for the first application could be, for example, the user triggering the activation of the youth protection mode on interface 204 in scenario 1. Optionally, the user's activation of the youth protection mode could be, for example, the user triggering the corresponding toggle button for the youth protection mode, or the user triggering the "Activate Youth Protection Mode" command. For example, when the phone detects that the user has triggered the youth protection mode operation on interface 203, it can determine the status of the youth protection mode. If the youth protection mode is in an off state (or closed state), the phone can display the "Activate Youth Protection Mode" control on interface 204.

[0133] Optionally, the electronic device can activate the first mode through the minor protection framework shown in Figure 1D. When the electronic device detects a first operation targeting a first application, it can send a message (e.g., message 1) to the minor protection framework through the first application to indicate that the first mode should be activated. Upon receiving message 1, the minor protection framework can activate the first mode, for example, by setting the state of the first mode to "on".

[0134] Optionally, the content available to teenagers of different ages may differ; for example, teenagers under 6 years old and teenagers over 14 years old may have different viewing preferences. Therefore, when the application runs in the first mode, the content displayed may also be age-appropriate. This teenager refers to the user of the electronic device when the first mode is activated (e.g., the first user).

[0135] Taking a mobile phone as an example, when the mobile phone detects a first operation on the first application, it can display the interface shown in Figure 5(a), where the user (the user performing the first operation) can select the age group to which the teenager belongs based on Figure 5(a); or, the mobile phone can also display the interface shown in Figure 5(b), where the user can input the teenager's age based on the interface shown in Figure 5(b); or, the mobile phone can also display the interface shown in Figure 5(c), where the user can select the first user from at least one user based on Figure 5(c). Wherein, if the mobile phone detects the first operation on the first application and displays the interface shown in Figure 5(c), before executing S401, the user can also pre-create the account information for the first user, which includes, for example, at least the first user's nickname and the first user's age.

[0136] Optionally, the electronic device can send the age information to the minor protection framework through the first application, for example, by carrying the age information in message 1 sent by the first application to the minor protection framework to indicate the activation of the first mode.

[0137] After the minor protection framework sets the first mode to the enabled state, it can notify the first application to run in the first mode. For example, the minor protection framework can send a first message to the first application to notify it to run in the first mode. Alternatively, the first message can also include a first identifier to notify the first application to run in the first mode. The first message can be, for example, a broadcast message. Optionally, the first message can also include the aforementioned age information, i.e., the age of the aforementioned first user. When the first application receives the first message from the minor protection framework, it can enable the first mode according to the first message and execute S402.

[0138] S402: The electronic device is running the first application in the first mode.

[0139] When an electronic device runs the first application in the first mode, the content displayed on the interface of the first application is related to the first mode. Specifically, the content displayed on the interface of the first application may be content recommended by the application server of the first application that is suitable for teenagers. Taking a short video application as an example, the content displayed on the interface of a short video application is videos recommended by its application server that are suitable for teenagers, such as inventions, scientific experiments, and other videos beneficial to teenagers' health. Therefore, before running the first application in the first mode, the electronic device can also send a request message to the application server of the first application to request the application server to recommend content suitable for teenagers.

[0140] Furthermore, when the electronic device runs the first application in the first mode, it can also monitor the usage time of the first application, exit the running state of the first application when the usage time of the first application ends, and not respond to the operation of restarting the first application.

[0141] Optionally, if the broadcast message described in S401 includes the age of the first user, when the electronic device runs the first application in the first mode, the content displayed on the interface of the first application and / or the usage time of the first application may also be related to the age of the first user.

[0142] S403: The electronic device detects a second operation to open a second application and runs the second application in the first mode.

[0143] Optionally, the second application can be an application running in the background of the electronic device when the first mode is enabled; or, the second application can be an application that is not launched when the first mode is enabled, but the second application has the ability to run in the first mode. Therefore, the second operation of enabling the second application can be an operation of switching the background application to the foreground, or it can be an operation of launching the application.

[0144] Before an electronic device runs a second application in the first mode, it can also notify the second application to run in the first mode. For example, the electronic device can send a first message to the second application through the minor protection framework shown in Figure 1D to notify the second application to run in the first mode. If the second application is an application running in the background of the electronic device when the first mode is enabled, the timing of the minor protection framework sending the first message to the second application can be the same as the timing of the minor protection framework sending the first message to the first application in S401. That is, when the minor protection framework enables the first mode, it can send the first message to both the application running in the foreground (i.e., the first application) and the application running in the background.

[0145] If the second application is an application that was not launched when the first mode was enabled, the timing for the minor protection framework to send the first message to the second application can be after receiving the second message from the second application. This second message is used to query whether the second application is running in the first mode. For example, when the electronic device detects a second operation of enabling the second application, it can send a second message to the minor protection framework through the second application. When the minor protection framework receives this second message, it can determine the status of the first mode. If the status of the first mode is enabled, the minor protection framework can send the first message to the second application. Optionally, if the minor protection framework determines that the minor protection mode is disabled after receiving the second message, it can send an indication message to the second application indicating that the first mode is not enabled. When the electronic device detects this second operation, it can directly run the second application in the first mode, and the user does not need to re-enable the first mode for the second application, which helps to improve the efficiency of enabling the minor mode.

[0146] When the second application receives the first message, it can activate the first mode, and the electronic device can run the second application in the first mode. The description of the electronic device running the second application in the first mode can be found in S402, where the description of the electronic device running the first application in the first mode is provided, and will not be repeated here. It is understood that in this embodiment, the usable time for different applications running in the first mode may differ, and the usable time for each application can be managed separately. Taking the first application and the second application as an example, in the first mode, the first application can be used for 30 minutes, and the second application can be used for 1 hour. Therefore, when the first application's usage time ends, the second application still has 1 hour of usage time remaining.

[0147] Electronic devices may also have applications installed that are not integrated into the minor protection framework shown in Figure 1D (e.g., third-party applications), such as application c shown in Figure 1D. However, these applications may be prohibited for minors, such as large-scale online games. The application's age setting during development is 18 years or older, making it unsuitable for minors. Therefore, these applications also need to be managed. For example, for third-party applications not integrated into the minor protection framework, electronic devices can manage them through the minor protection framework and control module shown in Figure 1D.

[0148] Optionally, after activating the first mode, the electronic device can determine the attributes of the third application and control it based on those attributes. The attributes of the third application may include, for example, its applicable age range and the application type it belongs to, which may include, for example, video entertainment, educational, or gaming applications.

[0149] Taking the management of a third application by an electronic device through the minor protection framework and control module shown in Figure 1D as an example, after the minor protection framework is activated in its first mode, the control module can also be activated. The control module can obtain all applications currently installed on the electronic device from the application market and query the control policy of each application, such as querying whether the application is connected to the minor protection framework or whether the application's attributes match the first user. For example, the control module can query the minor protection framework for the application's control policy by sending a first query message, which may include the identifier of the application to be queried.

[0150] When the minor protection framework receives the first query message, it can determine whether the queried application has been connected. For applications that have been connected to the minor protection framework, such as the first and second applications mentioned above, the minor protection framework can reply with a first response message indicating that it has been connected to the management module. In this case, the management mode can choose not to manage the application. For applications that have not been connected to the minor protection framework, such as the third application mentioned above, the minor protection framework can query the application tag of the third application, obtain the attributes of the third application, determine the management policy of the third application based on the attributes, and send the management policy to the management module. The management module can then manage the third application based on the management policy.

[0151] Taking a third application as an example, if the third application's attributes indicate that it is applicable to users aged 18 or older, and the first user's age is 9, it means the third application's attributes do not match the first user's. The control policy determined by the juvenile protection framework can prohibit the first user from using the third application. The juvenile protection framework can reply to the control module with a first response message prohibiting the use of the third application. Upon receiving this first response message, the control module can control the third application based on this control policy. If the third application's attributes indicate that it is applicable to users aged 6 or older, and the first user's age is 9, it means the third application's attributes match the first user's. The control policy determined by the juvenile protection framework can allow the first user to use the third application. The juvenile protection framework can reply to the control module with a first response message allowing the use of the third application. Upon receiving this first response message, the control module can control the third application based on this control policy.

[0152] If the control module determines that the first user is prohibited from using the third application, the control module can set the status of the third application to unavailable, for example, the control module can display the application icon of the third application in gray; if the control module determines that the first user can use the third application, the control module can set the status of the third application to available.

[0153] When the third application is set to an unavailable state, if the third application is a background application, the control module will control the third application to exit background operation; if the third application is an application that is not started when the first mode is enabled, the electronic device will not respond to the operation when it detects the operation to start the third application.

[0154] Taking a mobile phone as an example, in some embodiments, after the electronic device activates the first mode, the interface of the settings application can display the first mode, for example, please refer to the interface 601 shown in Figure 6(a).

[0155] Optionally, when a user wants to view or manage applications, they can also trigger control 602 in interface 601. When the mobile phone detects the user's operation of triggering control 602 (e.g., the third operation), it can display interface 603 as shown in Figure 6(b). The interface 603 includes an application list, which includes at least one application, wherein the at least one application includes the aforementioned first application and second application.

[0156] Optionally, the at least one application may also include a third application. Alternatively, the third application may be displayed on another interface, which displays a list of applications that are not connected to the minor protection framework but are managed, not shown in the figure. In the following embodiment, the third application is displayed on interface 603 as an example.

[0157] Optionally, the interface 603 may also include a control 604 for deleting an application and a control 605 for adding an application. When the phone detects an operation that triggers control 604, it can delete the corresponding application from the application list. For example, when the phone detects an operation that triggers control 604 for the fourth application, it can delete the fourth application from the application list. When the phone detects an operation that triggers control 605, it can display the interface shown in Figure 6(c), where the user can select the application they want to add. When the phone detects the user's selection of an application, it can add the selected application (e.g., the fifth application) to the application list. The multiple applications shown in Figure 6(c) may be applications that have been integrated into the minor protection framework, such as applications that have been integrated into the minor protection framework and previously deleted by the user, or they may be applications that have not been integrated into the minor protection framework. This embodiment does not limit this.

[0158] S404: The electronic device detects a fifth operation for the first application and closes the first mode.

[0159] The electronic device can respond to an operation to close the first mode (e.g., a fifth operation). This fifth operation is for an application currently running in the first mode, which could be, for example, the aforementioned first or second application. In this embodiment, taking the electronic device running the first application in the first mode as an example, if a user (e.g., a second user) is detected to perform a fifth operation to close the first mode for the first application, the electronic device can initiate a verification process before closing the first mode to verify the identity of the second user. If the verification passes, the first mode is closed, for example, by setting the state of the first mode to "not enabled." If the verification fails, the first mode remains enabled.

[0160] For example, when an electronic device detects a fifth operation targeting the first application, it can send message 2 to the juvenile protection framework through the first application, instructing the juvenile protection framework to close the first mode. Upon receiving message 2, the juvenile protection framework can initiate a verification process, collect verification information for verifying the identity of the second user, and verify the collected verification information. For example, the electronic device can collect and verify this verification information through the password verification interface shown in Figure 1D. This verification information can be, for example, fingerprint information, password information, facial information, palm print information, or iris information—information capable of identity verification.

[0161] Alternatively, when an electronic device detects a fifth operation targeting the first application, it can send message 2 to the minor protection framework and message 3 to the settings application through the first application to instruct the settings application to initiate an identity verification process. When the settings application receives message 3, it collects the verification information and sends the verification information to the minor protection framework through the password verification interface. The minor protection framework then verifies the verification information.

[0162] After setting the first mode to disabled, the minor protection framework can notify the first application running in the foreground and the application running in the background to disable the first mode. For example, the minor protection framework can send a third message to the first application to notify it to disable the first mode, such as notifying it to run in a second mode, which is a non-minor protection mode. This third message can be, for example, a broadcast message. Optionally, the third message can also include a second identifier to notify the first application to disable the first mode.

[0163] In this context, the third message and the aforementioned first message can be the same message or different messages. Taking sending the first message and the third message to the first application as an example, when the first application is instructed to run in a first mode or a second mode via a message, the first message and the third message are different messages; when the first application is instructed to run in a first mode or a second mode via an identifier, the first message and the third message can be the same message. This application's embodiments do not limit this.

[0164] When an electronic device detects a second operation that opens a second application, it runs the second application in a second mode. If the second application is an application running in the background when the first mode is closed, the juvenile protection framework may send a third message to the second application before running it in the second mode. The timing of this third message can be the same as the timing of the third message sent to the first application.

[0165] If the second application is not running when the first mode is disabled, the Minor Protection Framework may not send a third message to the second application. After receiving the second message from the second application, the Minor Protection Framework may send an indication message that the first mode is not enabled to the second application.

[0166] Please refer to Figure 7 below to introduce another application management method provided by an embodiment of this application. This method can be implemented by the electronic device shown in Figure 1A or other electronic devices. The embodiment shown in Figure 7 is illustrated using scenario 2 above as an example.

[0167] S701: The electronic device detects a first operation for a first application and activates a first mode.

[0168] The first application is the settings application. The first operation on the first application could be, for example, the user triggering the activation of the Youth Protection Mode on interface 304 in scenario 2. Optionally, the user's activation of Youth Protection Mode could be, for example, triggering the corresponding toggle button for Youth Protection Mode, or the user triggering the "Activate Youth Protection Mode" command. For instance, when the phone detects that the user has triggered the "Healthy Use of Phone" operation on interface 303, it can determine the status of Youth Protection Mode. If the Youth Protection Mode is not activated (or is disabled), the phone can display the "Activate Youth Protection Mode" control on interface 304.

[0169] Optionally, the electronic device can activate the first mode through the minor protection framework shown in Figure 1D. When the electronic device detects a first operation targeting a first application, it can send message 1 as described in S401 to the minor protection framework through the first application to indicate that the first mode should be activated. Upon receiving message 1, the minor protection framework can activate the first mode.

[0170] Optionally, message 1 may also include the age and / or first identifier of the first user as described in S401. The method by which the electronic device determines the age of the first user can be referred to the relevant description in S401 corresponding to Figure 5, and will not be repeated here.

[0171] S702: A second operation to open a second application has been detected. The second application is run in the first mode.

[0172] The relevant description of S702 can be found in the relevant description of S403, and will not be repeated here.

[0173] S703: The electronic device detects a fifth operation for the first application and closes the first mode.

[0174] The electronic device can respond to a fifth operation to close the first mode. This fifth operation is for an application currently running in the first mode, such as the aforementioned first application or the second application. In this embodiment, taking the electronic device running the first application in the first mode as an example, if it detects a user's (e.g., the aforementioned second user) operation to close the first mode for the first application, before closing the first mode, the electronic device can initiate a verification process to verify the identity of the second user. If the verification passes, the first mode is closed, for example, by setting the state of the first mode to "not enabled". If the verification fails, the first mode remains enabled. For example, when the electronic device detects the fifth operation for the first application, it can send message 2 to the minor protection framework through the first application to instruct it to close the first mode. Upon receiving message 2, the minor protection framework can initiate a verification process, collect verification information for verifying the identity of the second user, and verify the collected verification information. For example, the electronic device can collect this verification information through the password verification interface shown in Figure 1D and verify it. The verification information can be referred to in S404, and will not be repeated here.

[0175] Optionally, the first application may send a message (e.g., message 3) to the minor protection framework to indicate that the first mode is turned off, and initiate an identity verification process, collect the verification information used by the second user for identity verification, and send the verification information to the minor protection framework through the password verification interface, and the minor protection framework verifies the verification information.

[0176] The following are several embodiments illustrated by Figures 8 to 10. These embodiments are examples of the application management method described in the embodiment shown in Figure 4.

[0177] Please refer to Figure 8, which is a flowchart of an example of the application management method provided in the embodiment shown in Figure 4. In Figure 8, the first mode is enabled as an example.

[0178] S801: The electronic device detects a first operation for the first application, and the Minor Protection Framework activates the first mode.

[0179] The relevant description of S801 can be found in the relevant description of the first application in S401, and will not be repeated here.

[0180] S802: The Minor Protection Framework sends a first message to one or more connected applications. Correspondingly, the one or more applications receive the first message.

[0181] The one or more applications include a first application running in the foreground and one or more applications running in the background. The description of the juvenile protection framework sending the first message to the first application can be found in S401, and the description of the juvenile protection framework sending the first message to one or more applications running in the background can be found in S403. The second application is an application that was not started when the first mode was enabled; the description of the juvenile protection framework sending the first message to the second application is not repeated here.

[0182] S803: One or more applications enable the first mode, and the electronic device runs the first application in the first mode.

[0183] The description of the electronic device running the first application in the first mode can be found in the description of S402, and will not be repeated here.

[0184] S804: The electronic device detects a second operation that opens a second application.

[0185] The description of the second application can be found in S403, and will not be repeated here. If the second application is an application running in the background when the first mode is enabled, S805 can be executed. If the second application is an application that is not running when the first mode is enabled, S806, S807, and S805 can be executed sequentially.

[0186] S805: The electronic device runs the second application in the first mode.

[0187] The relevant description of S805 can be found in the relevant description of the electronic device running the second application in the first mode in S403, and will not be repeated here.

[0188] S806: The second application sends a second message to the juvenile protection framework. Accordingly, the juvenile protection framework receives the second message.

[0189] The relevant description of S806 can be found in the relevant description of S403 regarding electronic devices sending a second message to the minor protection framework through a second application, and will not be repeated here.

[0190] S807: The minor protection framework sends a first message to the second application. Correspondingly, the second application receives the second message.

[0191] The relevant description of S807 can be found in S403, where the second application is an application that is not started when the first mode is enabled, and the description of the minor protection framework sending the first message to the second application will not be repeated here.

[0192] In the above technical solution, when the electronic device detects the second operation, it can directly run the second application in the first mode. The user does not need to re-enable the first mode for the second application, which helps to improve the efficiency of enabling the underage mode.

[0193] Please refer to Figure 9, which is a flowchart of another example of the application management method provided in the embodiment shown in Figure 4. In Figure 9, the first mode is enabled as an example.

[0194] S901: The electronic device detects a first operation for the first application, and the Minor Protection Framework activates the first mode.

[0195] The relevant description of S901 can be found in the relevant description of the first application in S401, and will not be repeated here.

[0196] S902: The juvenile protection framework sends an instruction message to the control module to indicate that the control module should be activated.

[0197] S903: The control module sends a first query message to the juvenile protection framework. Correspondingly, the juvenile protection framework receives the first query message.

[0198] The control module can obtain all currently installed applications on the electronic device from the application market and send a first query message to the minor protection framework to query the control policy of each application. For example, it can query whether the application is connected to the minor protection framework or whether the application's attributes match the first user. Specifically, the control module can query the minor protection framework for the application's control policy by sending a first query message, which may include the identifier of the application to be queried.

[0199] S904: The minor protection module sends a first response message to the control module. Correspondingly, the control module receives this first response message.

[0200] When the juvenile protection framework receives the first query message, it can determine whether the application being queried has been connected. For applications that have been connected to the juvenile protection framework, such as the aforementioned first application, the juvenile protection framework can reply with a first response message indicating that it has been connected to the management module. In this case, the management mode can choose not to manage the application. For applications that have not been connected to the juvenile protection framework, such as the aforementioned third application, the juvenile protection framework can query the application tag of the third application, obtain the attributes of the third application, determine the management policy of the third application based on the attributes, and send the management policy to the management module to execute S905.

[0201] S905: The control module controls the third application based on the first response message.

[0202] Taking the aforementioned third application as an example, if the control module determines that the first user is prohibited from using the third application, the control module can set the status of the third application to unavailable. For example, the control module can display the application icon of the third application in gray. If the control module determines that the first user can use the third application, the control module can set the status of the third application to available.

[0203] When the third application is set to an unavailable state, if the third application is a background application, the control module will control the third application to exit background operation; if the third application is an application that is not started when the first mode is enabled, the electronic device will not respond to the operation when it detects the operation to start the third application.

[0204] In the above technical solution, for applications that are not connected to the Minor Protection Framework, the Minor Protection Framework can manage their usage status in conjunction with the management and control module, which helps to improve the rationality of application management.

[0205] Please refer to Figure 10, a flowchart illustrating another example of the application management method provided in the embodiment shown in Figure 4. Figure 9 shows an example of disabling the first mode.

[0206] S1001: The electronic device detected a fifth operation targeting the first application, and the minor protection framework verifies the identity of the second user.

[0207] When an electronic device is running the first application in the first mode, if a fifth operation by a second user on the first application is detected, the minor protection framework can initiate a verification process to verify the identity of the second user.

[0208] Alternatively, when an electronic device detects a fifth operation targeting the first application, it can send message 2 to the minor protection framework and message 3 to the settings application through the first application to instruct the settings application to initiate an identity verification process. When the settings application receives message 3, it collects the verification information and sends the verification information to the minor protection framework through the password verification interface. The minor protection framework then verifies the verification information.

[0209] Optionally, if the electronic device detects a fifth operation by the user on the settings app, the settings app may send a message (e.g., message 3) to the minor protection framework to instruct the first mode to be turned off, and initiate an identity verification process to collect the verification information used by the second user for identity verification, and send the verification information to the minor protection framework through a password verification interface, and the minor protection framework verifies the verification information.

[0210] If the verification passes, the first mode is disabled, for example, by setting the state of the first mode to "not enabled" and executing S1002. If the verification fails, the first mode remains enabled.

[0211] S1002: The Minor Protection Frame sends a third message to one or more applications. Correspondingly, one or more applications receive the third message.

[0212] The one or more applications include a first application running in the foreground and one or more applications running in the background. The description of the juvenile protection framework sending a third message to the first application can be found in section S403, and the description of the juvenile protection framework sending a first message to one or more applications running in the background can also be found in section S403. The second application is an application that was not started when the first mode was closed. The description of the juvenile protection framework sending a third message to the second application is not repeated here.

[0213] S1003: One or more applications disable the first mode, and the Minor Protection Framework runs the first application in the second mode.

[0214] The description of the Minor Protection Framework operating the First Application in the Second Mode can be found in S403, and will not be repeated here.

[0215] S1004: The electronic device detects a second operation that opens a second application.

[0216] The description of the second application can be found in S403, and will not be repeated here. If the second application is an application running in the background when the first mode is off, S1005 can be executed. If the second application is an application that is not running when the first mode is on, S1006, S1007, and S1005 can be executed sequentially.

[0217] S1005: The electronic device is running a second application in a second mode.

[0218] The relevant description of S1005 can be found in the relevant description of the electronic device running the second application in the second mode in S403, and will not be repeated here.

[0219] S1006: The second application sends a second message to the minor protection framework. Accordingly, the minor protection framework receives the second message.

[0220] The relevant description of S1006 can be found in the relevant description of S403 regarding the electronic device sending a second message to the minor protection framework through a second application, and will not be repeated here.

[0221] S1007: The minor protection framework sends an indication message to the second application to indicate that the first mode is not enabled. Accordingly, the second application receives the indication message.

[0222] In the above technical solution, when a user closes the first function, only one password verification is required, instead of multiple password verifications for each application, which reduces the user's operation process and effectively improves the efficiency of closing the first function.

[0223] The following is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown in Figure 11. The electronic device 1100 can be either the first device or the second device mentioned above. The electronic device 1100 may include: one or more processors 1101; one or more memories 1102; a communication interface 1103; and one or more computer programs 1104. These devices can be connected via one or more communication buses 1105. The one or more computer programs 1104 are stored in the memory 1102 and configured to be executed by the one or more processors 1101. The one or more computer programs 1104 include instructions. For example, these instructions can be used to execute relevant steps of a mobile phone as described in the corresponding embodiments above. The communication interface 1103 is used to enable communication between the mobile phone and other devices (e.g., drones). For example, the communication interface can be a transceiver.

[0224] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods described in the above embodiments.

[0225] This application also provides a graphical user interface for an electronic device, the electronic device having a display screen, a memory, and a processor, the processor being used to execute one or more computer programs stored in the memory, the graphical user interface including the graphical user interface displayed when the electronic device performs the methods in the above embodiments.

[0226] This application also provides a chip system including a processor and an interface, wherein the processor is configured to call and execute instructions from the interface to enable the chip system to implement the methods described in the above embodiments.

[0227] In the embodiments provided above, the methods provided by the embodiments of this application are described from the perspective of an electronic device (first device or second device) as the executing entity. To implement the functions of the methods provided in the embodiments of this application above, the electronic device may include hardware structures and / or software modules, implementing the above functions in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules. Whether a particular function is executed in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0228] As used in the above embodiments, depending on the context, the term "when..." can be interpreted as meaning "if..." or "after...". Similarly, depending on the context, the phrases "when it is determined" or "if (the stated condition or event) is interpreted as meaning "if it is determined..." or "in response to determining..." or "when (the stated condition or event) is detected" or "in response to detecting (the stated condition or event)".

[0229] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state drive), etc.

[0230] For purposes of explanation, the foregoing description has been given with reference to specific embodiments. However, the exemplary discussion above is not intended to be exhaustive, nor is it intended to limit the application to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible based on the teachings above. The embodiments were chosen and described to fully elucidate the principles of the application and its practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to fully utilize the application and its various embodiments with various modifications suitable for the particular intended use.

Claims

1. An application management method, characterized in that, Applied to electronic devices, the method includes: Run the first application; A first operation targeting the first application is detected, and a first mode is activated, which includes a youth protection mode. Run the first application in the first mode; A second operation to open a second application is detected, and the second application is run in the first mode.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Before running the second application in the first mode, the method further includes: The second application is notified to run in the first mode.

3. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The second application is an application running in the background, or the second application is an application that was not started when the first mode was enabled.

4. The method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The second application is an application that was not launched when the first mode was enabled. Before notifying the second application to run the second application in the first mode, the method further includes: Receive a second message from the second application, the second message being used to query whether to run in the first mode.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, Notifying the second application to run the second application in the first mode includes: Send a first message to the second application, the first message being used to notify the second application to run the second application in the first mode.

6. The method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The first message includes the age and / or first identifier of the first user, who is the user who uses the electronic device after enabling the first mode of operation, and the first identifier is used to instruct the second application to run the second application in the first mode.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: After enabling the first mode, the attributes of the third application are determined, and the third application is managed according to the attributes. The third application is not connected to the framework service corresponding to the first mode.

8. The method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, Controlling the third application based on the aforementioned attributes includes: If the attribute does not match the first user, and the third application is an application running in the background, exit the background operation. The first user is the user who uses the electronic device after enabling the first mode of operation. If the attribute matches the first user, and the third application is an application that was not started when the first mode was enabled, the operation to start the third application is not responded to.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: After enabling the first mode, the first mode will be displayed in the settings application interface.

10. The method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: In response to a third operation on the settings application, at least one application is displayed on the first interface of the settings application, the at least one application including the first application and the second application.

11. The method as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The at least one application also includes a third application, which is not connected to the framework service corresponding to the first mode.

12. The method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: In response to a fourth operation based on the first interface, a fourth application in the at least one application is deleted, or a fifth application is added in the at least one application.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The method further includes: Run the first application in the first mode; A fifth operation targeting the first application is detected, and the identity of the second user is verified. The second user is the user who performed the fifth operation. If the verification is successful, close the first mode and run the first application in the second mode; The second operation was detected, and the second application was run in the second mode.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that, When the first application or the second application is run in the first mode, the content displayed on the interface of the first application or the second application is associated with the first mode.

15. An application management method, characterized in that, Applied to electronic devices, the method includes: A first operation targeting a first application is detected, and a first mode is activated. The first application is a settings application, and the first mode includes a youth protection mode. A second operation to open a second application is detected, and the second application is run in the first mode.

16. The method as described in claim 15, characterized in that, Before running the second application in the first mode, the method further includes: The second application is notified to run in the first mode.

17. The method as described in claim 16, characterized in that, The second application is an application running in the background, or the second application is an application that was not started when the first mode was enabled.

18. The method as described in claim 17, characterized in that, The second application is an application that was not launched when the first mode was enabled. Before notifying the second application to run the second application in the first mode, the method further includes: Receive a second message from the second application, the second message being used to query whether to run in the first mode.

19. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that, Notifying the second application to run the second application in the first mode includes: Send a first message to the second application, the first message being used to notify the second application to run the second application in the first mode.

20. The method as described in claim 19, characterized in that, The first message includes the age and / or first identifier of the first user, who is the user who uses the electronic device after enabling the first mode of operation, and the first identifier is used to instruct the second application to run the second application in the first mode.

21. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 20, characterized in that, The method further includes: After enabling the first mode, the attributes of the third application are determined, and the third application is managed according to the attributes. The third application is not connected to the framework service corresponding to the first mode.

22. The method as described in claim 21, characterized in that, Controlling the third application based on the aforementioned attributes includes: If the attribute does not match the first user, and the third application is an application running in the background, exit the background operation. The first user is the user who uses the electronic device after enabling the first mode of operation. If the attribute matches the first user, and the third application is an application that was not started when the first mode was enabled, the operation to start the third application is not responded to.

23. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 22, characterized in that, The method further includes: After the first mode is enabled, the first mode is displayed on the interface of the first application.

24. The method as described in claim 23, characterized in that, The method further includes: In response to a third operation on the settings application, at least one application is displayed on a first interface of the first application, the at least one application including the first application and the second application.

25. The method as described in claim 24, characterized in that, The at least one application also includes a third application, which is not connected to the framework service corresponding to the first mode.

26. The method as described in claim 25, characterized in that, The method further includes: In response to a fourth operation based on the first interface, a fourth application in the at least one application is deleted, or a fifth application is added in the at least one application.

27. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 26, characterized in that, The method further includes: A fifth operation targeting the first application is detected, and the identity of the second user is verified. The second user is the user who performed the fifth operation. If the verification is successful, the first mode will be turned off; The second operation was detected, and the second application was run in the second mode.

28. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 27, characterized in that, When the second application is run in the first mode, the content displayed on the interface of the second application is associated with the first mode.

29. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 28.

30. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 28.

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