A method and an apparatus for protecting UE, UE, and a base station are provided by the present disclosure. The method of protecting UE includes: a first request message for adjusting a radio link configuration is received from UE; when determining that the radio link configuration is to be adjusted based on the first request message, a first response message is generated and sent, where the first response message carries first configuration information to which the UE is to be adjusted; after sending the first response message, it is monitored within a first preset time period whether there is a second request message for adjusting the radio link configuration sent by the UE; and the radio link configuration of the UE is re-adjusted based on a monitoring result within the first preset time period. The technical solution of the present disclosure may lower the device temperature of the UE by reducing the radio link configuration without traffic data transmission interruption, and the base station may re-adjust the UE to a higher radio link configuration when the UE is no longer overheated, so as to meet a user's requirement for high-speed data transmission.