The invention discloses a picture management method and a mobile terminal, wherein the picture management method is applied to the mobile terminal. A front camera and a back camera are installed on the mobile terminal at the same time. The method comprises: in the photographing process, detecting what the mobile terminals calls is the front arranged camera or the back arranged camera; if the mobile terminal calls the front arranged camera to photograph at this time, then, identifying the photographed picture or video as a first mark; and ciphering, storing and managing the picture or video identified by the first mark in the mobile terminal. With the picture management method of the invention, when a user uses the mobile terminal to photograph, the mobile terminal detects whether the user uses the front arranged camera or the back arranged camera. If the user is using the front arranged camera to photograph, then, the picture or the video photographed by the front arranged camera are ciphered, stored and managed so as to ensure the privacy of the picture or video photographed by the front arranged camera.