The COVID-19 pandemic led to a rapid deployment of teleconsultation (TC) in French primary care. Before the crisis, routine use remained limited, including in the XXXXXXX departments of XXXXXXX and XXXXX. Exploring GPs’ lived experience in these island settings can inform how TC may be integrated beyond emergency conditions.To explore general practitioners’ (GPs) lived experiences with TC during the first wave of COVID-19 in XXXXXXX and XXXXXXX.Qualitative phenomenological study using semi-structured interviews. Five investigators conducted five independent regional sub-studies (four in XXXXXX, one in XXXXXX). Ambulatory GPs were eligible if they had used TC during the first wave; physicians-in-training and non-primary-care physicians were excluded. Interviews were conducted in French between May and December 2020. Data were analysed inductively with manual coding and triangulation, and a cross-regional interpretative synthesis produced a unified conceptual model.Fifty-five GPs were interviewed (10–13 per region). TC was widely perceived as imposed, with limited preparedness, training and secure digital infrastructure. GPs reported frustration, diagnostic uncertainty linked to the lack of physical examination, ethical concerns (notably confidentiality when using common communication apps), administrative burden, and a perceived loss of holistic, relationship-based care. At the same time, they identified benefits: continuity of care during lockdown, reduced infection risk, and legitimisation of previously informal remote acts. Over time, many described a shift from improvisation to a reasoned and selective use of TC, defining indications and limits.TC was not viewed as a substitute for in-person consultations but as a complementary tool for specific situations. The observed evolution—from constraint to cautious appropriation—highlights the need for regulation, training and reliable infrastructure, particularly in underserved regions, to support sustainable integration of telemedicine in primary care.Strengthening secure digital infrastructure and practical guidance, alongside clinician training, may facilitate safe and equitable long-term use of TC beyond crises.