The present application relates to selecting one or more of activated transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states for communications between a network and a user equipment. In an example, the network includes multiple transmission and reception points (TRPs) with which the UE communications. An activated TCI state can be a unified downlink TCI state that applies to multiple downlink channels or a unified uplink TCI state that applies to multiple uplink channels, where this state has already been activated by the network for the UE. Based on a predefined set of rules or network-based signaling, the UE can determine for a downlink or uplink communication with the network, one or more of the activated TCI states to use to then perform the downlink or uplink communication with the network.