A method for indicating to skip PDCCH monitoring and an apparatus are provided, to indicate, by using downlink control information, a terminal device to skip PDCCH monitoring. After a network device sends DCI that includes PDCCH skipping indication information to the terminal device, the terminal device determines, based on the PDCCH skipping indication information, not to monitor a PDCCH in a first time interval. In this way, the DCI is used to indicate the terminal device to skip PDCCH monitoring, and specific signaling used to indicate to skip PDCCH monitoring is clarified, thereby saving energy of the terminal device.