An operation detection method and apparatus, and a mobile terminal, where the method includes determining a contact region of a hand of a user on a side face of a mobile terminal and a dynamic change of the hand of the user using electrical characteristics of two capacitive touch display screens of the mobile terminal based on detected capacitance signals on the two capacitive touch display screens, determining a gesture operation of the hand on the side face, improving sensitivity of identifying a gesture on the side face, and accurately identifying the gesture operation of the hand of the user on the side face.