A method and an apparatus for updating an Access Point Name (APN) subscription configuration are disclosed. The method includes: receiving an update request message sent by a network element, where the update request message carries the first APN information, Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (GW) information and an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI); obtaining the second APN information of the corresponding user according to the IMSI; and updating a wild card APN subscription configuration of the corresponding user according to the first APN information if the first APN information is different from the second APN information and the corresponding user subscribes to a wild card APN. The embodiments of the present invention reduce unnecessary signaling interactions between the Home Subscriber Server (HSS) and other network elements, enhance the data transmission performance of the network, and reduce the unnecessary overhead of the HSS.