Embodiments of the present invention relate to the communications field, and provide a method for sending a sync beacon message by a NAN device, and a device, so as to resolve a problem of a sync beacon message conflict that occurs when the NAN device merges to a new cluster in a master role. The method is: when a first device in a first cluster receives first cluster information of a second cluster, if the first device determines to merge to the second cluster, sending a sync beacon message in the second cluster according to a role and a state of the first device in the first cluster. According to the embodiments of the present invention, after merging to a cluster, a NAN device determines whether to send a sync beacon frame.