The present invention provides a control information sending method, user equipment, and a network side device, where the control information sending method includes: determining, by the user equipment, to change an accessed control channel from a first control channel to a second control channel; sending, by the user equipment, indication information of the second control channel to a network side device, so that the network side device sends control information to the user equipment over the second control channel according to the indication information of the second control channel. By using the technical solutions provided in embodiments of the present invention, control information sending efficiency can be improved.