A wireless communication method performed by a terminal device, comprising: sending first indication information to a network device, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate at least one of a modulation and coding scheme threshold that is corresponding to a phase tracking reference signal time domain density and that is recommended by the terminal device, and a scheduled resource block quantity threshold that is corresponding to a phase tracking reference signal frequency domain density and that is recommended by the terminal device; and receiving second indication information from the network device, wherein the second indication information is used to indicate at least one of a modified modulation and coding scheme threshold corresponding to the phase tracking reference signal time domain density, and a modified scheduled resource block quantity threshold corresponding to the phase tracking reference signal frequency domain density; determining, based on the second indication information, the modified modulation and coding scheme threshold corresponding to the phase tracking reference signal time domain density and/or the modified scheduled resource block quantity threshold corresponding to the phase tracking reference signal frequency domain density; determining a time domain density of a phase tracking reference signal based on the modified modulation and coding scheme threshold and a modulation and coding scheme scheduled by the network device for the terminal device, and/or a frequency domain density of the phase tracking reference signal based on the modified scheduled resource block quantity threshold and a bandwidth scheduled by the network device for the terminal device; determining a pattern of the phase tracking reference signal based on the time domain density of the phase tracking reference signal and/or the frequency domain density of the phase tracking reference signal; and receiving, based on the pattern of the phase tracking reference signal, the phase tracking reference signal from the network device. sending first indication information to a network device, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate at least one of a modulation and coding scheme threshold that is corresponding to a phase tracking reference signal time domain density and that is recommended by the terminal device, and a scheduled resource block quantity threshold that is corresponding to a phase tracking reference signal frequency domain density and that is recommended by the terminal device; and receiving second indication information from the network device, wherein the second indication information is used to indicate at least one of a modified modulation and coding scheme threshold corresponding to the phase tracking reference signal time domain density, and a modified scheduled resource block quantity threshold corresponding to the phase tracking reference signal frequency domain density; determining, based on the second indication information, the modified modulation and coding scheme threshold corresponding to the phase tracking reference signal time domain density and/or the modified scheduled resource block quantity threshold corresponding to the phase tracking reference signal frequency domain density; determining a time domain density of a phase tracking reference signal based on the modified modulation and coding scheme threshold and a modulation and coding scheme scheduled by the network device for the terminal device, and/or a frequency domain density of the phase tracking reference signal based on the modified scheduled resource block quantity threshold and a bandwidth scheduled by the network device for the terminal device; determining a pattern of the phase tracking reference signal based on the time domain density of the phase tracking reference signal and/or the frequency domain density of the phase tracking reference signal; and receiving, based on the pattern of the phase tracking reference signal, the phase tracking reference signal from the network device.