Method and apparatus for unified design of PDCCH and RS based paging early indication

Methods and apparatus for physical downlink data channel (PDCCH) and reference signal (RS) based paging in a wireless communication system. A method includes receiving: a first configuration for a search space set in common search space (CSS), wherein the search space set is for a downlink control information (DCI) format that includes a tracking RS (TRS) availability indication field, wherein the TRS availability indication field in the DCI format provides a bitmap; and a second configuration for a number of TRS resources sets. The method further includes determining a TRS resources set from the number of TRS resources sets associated with a bit from the bitmap, wherein TRS resources from the TRS resources set are present for a time duration based on an associated bit for the TRS resources set in the bitmap; and receiving TRS resources from the number of TRS resources sets that are present.