Abstract: In an embodiment an over the air (OTA )system software upgrade control method includes accessing, by a terminal device, an OTA server, and obtaining version information of a target system software upgrade package that is on the OTA server and whose version is later than a current system software version of the terminal device, requesting, by the terminal device, from a management device, authorization information corresponding to the version information of the target system software upgrade package, determining, by the terminal device in response to the authorization information that is received from the management device and that corresponds to the version information of the target system software upgrade package, that the target system software upgrade package is obtainable from the OTA server, and obtaining the target system software upgrade package from the OTA server, wherein the authorization information indicates whether the terminal device is allowed to obtain the target system software upgrade packag