A mobility management method, user equipment, and a network device are provided. The mobility management method includes: receiving, by user equipment UE in a connected state, a handover-free UE identifier from a network device, where the handover-free UE identifier is used to uniquely identify the UE in a handover-free state in a handover-free area, and the handover-free area includes at least two cells; entering, by the UE, the handover-free state after meeting an activation condition, where in the handover-free state, the UE stores the handover-free UE identifier and a connection context that is of the UE in the connected state, and the UE does not execute a handover procedure when the UE moves in the handover-free area; sending, by the UE, the handover-free UE identifier to the network device after the UE determines that a deactivation condition is met.