Disclosed is an apparatus and method for automatically detecting the presence of a strobo in an earphone jack port of a mobile terminal wherein the strobo is automatically enabled without the additional operation of the mobile terminal when the strobo is plugged into an earphone jack while a user uses a built-in digital camera. The present invention safeguards the mobile terminal against severe damage being done thereto by mistakenly choosing options to enable a strobo without knowing that an earphone/microphone set is plugged in the earphone jack of a mobile terminal.