This application provides example scrambling-based data transmission methods and apparatuses. A scrambling manner is determined based on a sending waveform. The scrambling manner can include frequency domain scrambling, time domain scrambling, or time-frequency domain scrambling. To-be-scrambled data can be scrambled based on the scrambling manner, to obtain scrambled output data. The scrambled output data can be sent. The sending waveform can be a discrete Fourier transform spreading orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-s-OFDM) waveform or a cyclic prefix orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (CP-OFDM) waveform.