An apparatus and a method for configuring an idle screen in a terminal is provided. The apparatus includes a state sensor for sensing an environmental state a memory for storing a plurality of environmental state information items, each including at least one environmental state information, and a plurality of terminal function items, each associated with a corresponding environmental state information item and comprising at least one terminal function and a controller for when a change in a current environmental state is sensed while performing a selected terminal function, determining an environmental state information item corresponding to a changed environmental state, and updating the selected terminal function in a terminal function item corresponding to the determined environmental state information item, and when there is a request for displaying an idle screen, determining an environmental state item corresponding to the current environmental state from the memory, extracting one or more terminal functions of the terminal function item corresponding to the environmental state information item, and configuring the idle screen using the extracted one or more terminal functions.