A beam configuration method, comprising: determining, by a terminal device, a receive beam for receiving a signal transmitted on a transmit beam of a network device, wherein, before the signal is received by the terminal device, if the terminal device does not measure or report a second beam corresponding to a first identifier in a prestored or pre-configured time length, and does not measure or report a third beam corresponding to a second identifier in the time length, wherein an identifier of a reference signal sent on the transmit beam of the network device is the first identifier and an identifier of a reference signal sent on the third beam is the second identifier, and wherein the first identifier and the second identifier have a spatial quasi co-location, QCL, relationship, the method further comprises: determining, by the terminal device, the receive beam based on a spatial reception parameter corresponding to a reference signal using which downlink synchronization is completed; wherein the time length is notified by the network device to the terminal device by using at least one of: radio resource control RRC signaling, system information SI, remaining system information RMSI, a new radio system information block 1 NR SIB 1, MAC Control Element MAC-CE signaling, downlink control information DCI, a physical broadcast channel PBCH, and a PDCCH; and receiving, by the terminal device, the signal through the receive beam. determining, by a terminal device, a receive beam for receiving a signal transmitted on a transmit beam of a network device, wherein, before the signal is received by the terminal device, if the terminal device does not measure or report a second beam corresponding to a first identifier in a prestored or pre-configured time length, and does not measure or report a third beam corresponding to a second identifier in the time length, wherein an identifier of a reference signal sent on the transmit beam of the network device is the first identifier and an identifier of a reference signal sent on the third beam is the second identifier, and wherein the first identifier and the second identifier have a spatial quasi co-location, QCL, relationship, the method further comprises: determining, by the terminal device, the receive beam based on a spatial reception parameter corresponding to a reference signal using which downlink synchronization is completed; wherein the time length is notified by the network device to the terminal device by using at least one of: radio resource control RRC signaling, system information SI, remaining system information RMSI, a new radio system information block 1 NR SIB 1, MAC Control Element MAC-CE signaling, downlink control information DCI, a physical broadcast channel PBCH, and a PDCCH; and receiving, by the terminal device, the signal through the receive beam. determining, by the terminal device, the receive beam based on a spatial reception parameter corresponding to a reference signal using which downlink synchronization is completed; wherein the time length is notified by the network device to the terminal device by using at least one of: radio resource control RRC signaling, system information SI, remaining system information RMSI, a new radio system information block 1 NR SIB 1, MAC Control Element MAC-CE signaling, downlink control information DCI, a physical broadcast channel PBCH, and a PDCCH; and receiving, by the terminal device, the signal through the receive beam.