This application provides a communication method and apparatus. The method includes: A terminal device receives a first signal from a network device; the terminal device receives a second signal based on the first signal; and if the terminal device does not receive the first signal in a first time period, the terminal device receives a third signal. Both the second signal and the third signal indicate paging-related information. If the terminal device does not receive the first signal in the first time period, the terminal device determines to receive the paging-related information by using a procedure of receiving the third signal.