An apparatus and method for recognizing a fingerprint are provided. The apparatus includes a display device including a plurality of pixels configured to be turned on and off based on an image signal, a transparent cover disposed on the display device, the transparent cover including a touch surface through which a touch of a user is input, and a touch sensor configured to recognize a location of the touch through the touch surface. The apparatus further includes a fingerprint sensor configured to detect light that is reflected from the touch surface, based on the fingerprint of the user inputting the touch, and generate a signal, based on the light, and a controller configured to generate the image signal to turn on pixels corresponding to the location among the plurality of pixels, and determine a fingerprint profile of the fingerprint, based on the signal generated by the fingerprint sensor.