Provided are a cell switching method and device for addressing the problem in which a user equipment (UE) fails to switch a cell as a result of a conflict with a physical cell identifier (PCI) configured by a pico cell. The method of the present invention comprises: receiving, by a source cell, the PCI of a target cell reported by the UE; determining, by the source cell, a cell type of the target cell; when the source cell determines that the cell type of the target cell is the pico cell, obtaining a cell global identifier (CGI) of the target cell; and uniquely identifying, by the source cell and according to the CGI, the target cell, and instructing, by the source cell, the UE to switch to the target cell.