Embodiments of this application provide a communication method, a terminal device, and a network device. The method includes: determining, by a terminal device, at least one target manner of an air interface technology; and communicating, by the terminal device, with a network device by using the at least one target manner of the air interface technology. Therefore, according to the method provided in the embodiments of this application, a target manner that is of an air interface technology and that is used during actual communication can be determined from a plurality of optional manners of the air interface technology.