This application provides a communication method, wherein a user plane path between a terminal and a user plane gateway includes a first link and a second link, the first link is a link between the terminal and an access network device, and the second link is a link between the access network device and the user plane gateway. The method comprises: obtaining packet loss statuses of a service flow on the first link and the second link; determining a quantity of consecutive lost packets of the service flow on the user plane path based on the packet loss statuses of the service flow on the first link and the second link; and when the quantity of consecutive lost packets of the service flow on the user plane path reaches a first threshold, triggers enabling of a high-reliability transmission mechanism for the service flow.