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