Disclosed in the present application is a random access method, which may implement an effective switch between a two-step random access procedure and a four-step random access procedure. The method comprises: during a two-step random access procedure, a terminal device sending a first message for the two-step random access procedure; and if the number of times the first message for the two-step random access procedure is sent reaches a first threshold and a second message for the two-step random access procedure has not been received, the terminal device switches to a four-step random access procedure.