The invention discloses a method and a device for picture loading based on an Android system. The method includes: A, sending out an order of a picture loading task and initializing soft references of a stored picture; B, judging whether the picture to be displayed is stored in the soft references or not; C, if not, running a picture loading thread for loading, and if yes, directly performing the step F; D, if the memory is insufficient, automatically recovering the picture stored in the soft references until the memory is sufficient; E, storing the picture in the soft references when the picture to be displayed is loaded; and F, directly reading the picture to be displayed from the soft references and displaying the picture. Using the method and the device for picture loading based on the Android system can avoid repeated picture loading to realize rapid picture calling, dependence on the memory is reduced, the device can be operated smoothly in low-performance systems, and user experience can be enhanced.