A desktop sharing method and a mobile terminal are disclosed. The method includes: determining, by a first terminal, a desktop drawing file according to a desktop of the first terminal when a first operation of a user received by the first terminal meets a first preconfigured condition, where the desktop drawing file includes a desktop description file and a file package of at least one screen interface on the desktop of the first terminal, the desktop description file includes a location of at least one application interface element on the desktop of the first terminal, and the file package includes a thumbnail of the at least one application interface element. The method also includes sharing, by the first terminal, the determined desktop drawing file, so that a second terminal updates a desktop of the second terminal according to the shared desktop drawing file.