An apparatus and a method for controlling a display of a mobile device are provided. The method includes identifying a resolution of video data to be displayed in a video display mode, retrieving brightness control data corresponding to the identified resolution from a memory unit that stores a plurality of values of the brightness control data each of which corresponds to each of a plurality of resolution values, and sending the retrieved brightness control data to a display unit to display the video data with specific brightness determined based on the brightness control data.