This application provides a communications method and apparatus. The method includes: determining first information, where the first information indicates a scheduling manner of a system information block, the first information is determined based on at least one of second information, third information, or fourth information, the second information indicates a quantity of terminal devices that expect to obtain the system information block, and when a current scheduling manner of the system information block is an on-demand scheduling manner, the fourth information indicates at least one of the following: a quantity of times that the system information block is requested; and sending the first information to a network device.