A radio frequency capability configuration method and an apparatus, the method including sending, by a network device, to a terminal, configuration information configuring M sets of radio frequency capabilities, where each set of radio frequency capabilities includes one or more radio frequency capabilities on one or more carriers, where a radio frequency capability on each carrier of the one or more carriers comprises a quantity of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layers, and where M is an integer greater than 1, and sending, by the network device, to the terminal, first indication information to the terminal, where the first indication information indicates a set of radio frequency capabilities in the M sets of radio frequency capabilities.