A mobile terminal and an icon control method for the same are provided. The icon control method includes detecting a selection event in relation to displayed icons, determining, when the selection event is detected, a number of icons mapped to a zone in which the selection event is detected, and changing, when the number of icons mapped to the zone is greater than one, an order of the multiple icons mapped to the zone for successive icon display according to a time during which contact is maintained after the selection event. When multiple displayed icons overlap each other on a display screen, a user can easily select a desired one of the overlapping icons without having to move any of the icons.