Embodiments of the present invention provide a paging determining method. The method includes: determining, by a network device, a first group to which a first terminal device paged on a first paging occasion belongs, where the first group belongs to the M groups; and sending, by the network device, control information based on the first group, where the control information is used to indicate paging information, and the paging information includes a device identifier of the first terminal device. Therefore, reduction of terminal device power consumption can be effectively supported.