A group communications method, wherein the method comprises: when a first terminal initiates access to a local area network group, obtaining, by a group management function network element, an identifier of a first user plane network element to be accessed by the first terminal, context information of the local area network group, and a first session port identifier, wherein the context information comprises an identifier list of user plane network elements accessed by a terminal that has currently accessed the local area network group in a terminal member list corresponding to the local area network group, and the first session port identifier is an identifier of a first session port that is on the first user plane network element and that is used by the first terminal for access; creating, by the group management function network element for the local area network group, a rule group applied to the first session port, and creating or updating, by the group management function network element for the local area network group based on the context information, a local area network group forwarding action rule, FAR, applied to the first user plane network element, wherein the rule group comprises an ingress packet detection rule, PDR, an egress PDR, and an egress FAR; the egress PDR comprises an identifier of the egress FAR, and the ingress PDR comprises an identifier of the local area network group FAR; the ingress PDR is used to identify a broadcast packet belonging to the local area network group, and the local area network group FAR is used to duplicate the broadcast packet and then forward the broadcast packet to a specified egress; and the egress PDR is used to identify a type of the broadcast packet, and the egress FAR is used to perform outer header creation and transport level marking on the broadcast packet and then send the broadcast packet through a corresponding port; and sending, by the group management function network element, a first message to a session management network element, wherein the first message is used to configure the rule group on the first session port, and configure or update the local area network group FAR on the first user plane network element. when a first terminal initiates access to a local area network group, obtaining, by a group management function network element, an identifier of a first user plane network element to be accessed by the first terminal, context information of the local area network group, and a first session port identifier, wherein the context information comprises an identifier list of user plane network elements accessed by a terminal that has currently accessed the local area network group in a terminal member list corresponding to the local area network group, and the first session port identifier is an identifier of a first session port that is on the first user plane network element and that is used by the first terminal for access; creating, by the group management function network element for the local area network group, a rule group applied to the first session port, and creating or updating, by the group management function network element for the local area network group based on the context information, a local area network group forwarding action rule, FAR, applied to the first user plane network element, wherein the rule group comprises an ingress packet detection rule, PDR, an egress PDR, and an egress FAR; the egress PDR comprises an identifier of the egress FAR, and the ingress PDR comprises an identifier of the local area network group FAR; the ingress PDR is used to identify a broadcast packet belonging to the local area network group, and the local area network group FAR is used to duplicate the broadcast packet and then forward the broadcast packet to a specified egress; and the egress PDR is used to identify a type of the broadcast packet, and the egress FAR is used to perform outer header creation and transport level marking on the broadcast packet and then send the broadcast packet through a corresponding port; and sending, by the group management function network element, a first message to a session management network element, wherein the first message is used to configure the rule group on the first session port, and configure or update the local area network group FAR on the first user plane network element.