Terminal devices belonging to the first category have a same service feature, so as to classify terminal devices based on service features, and obtain a category to which each terminal device belongs. Optionally, the service feature includes at least one of a probability that the terminal device is paged, or an uplink/downlink service trigger type. The probability that the terminal device is paged is determined based on a quantity of communication times of the terminal device per unit time. If the quantity of communication times is less than a preset threshold, it may be determined that the terminal device is of the uplink service trigger type. On the contrary, if the quantity of communication times is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, it may be determined that the terminal device is of the downlink service trigger type. For example, when the category to which the terminal device belongs is determined based on the service feature of the terminal device, the service feature may be used to indicate a probability that the terminal device is paged, and probabilities that terminal devices having different service features are paged are different. In this way, based on the service feature, terminal devices with a relatively high probability of being paged are put into a same category, and terminal devices with a relatively low probability of being paged are put into a same group.