The increasing digitisation of healthcare is transforming patients’ access to information and services. In France, 51% of the population used the internet for health-related purposes in 2022. Although information and communication technologies (ICT) are often promoted as tools for patient empowerment and healthcare system improvement, little is known about how patients actually use them, the determinants of these uses, and their implications for primary care.The primary objective of this study was to explore patients’ perspectives on their uses of ICT for health. We aimed to develop a typology of uses, identify their determinants, and analyse patients’ perceptions of their impact on care and the patient–doctor relationship in primary care.We conducted a qualitative, non-interventional study between February and May 2023 in Alsace, France. Using iterative theoretically reasoned sampling, six adult patients followed in primary care and using ICT for health-related purposes were recruited. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. A hybrid deductive–inductive qualitative content analysis was performed, informed by Mastafari’s ICT typology. A total of 585 coded segments were analysed.Four categories of ICT use were identified: ICT for training and self-directed learning; ICT for research and documentation; ICT for exchange, communication, collaboration, and cooperation; and ICT for organisation and management. No use related to producing, creating, or publishing content was reported. Determinants of use included patients’ perceptions of health, trust in digital information, and facilitating or inhibiting factors such as digital skills, access, usability, and perceived added value. Patients reported ambivalent perceptions, combining feelings of autonomy, reassurance, and empowerment with anxiety, information overload, and concerns regarding professional legitimacy. Across all categories, hidden inequalities in access, skills, and awareness were identified.Patients’ ICT use reshapes roles and expectations in primary care, fostering engagement while also generating new tensions and reinforcing digital and social inequalities. Patients are not always aware of the broader individual and systemic implications of their digital practices.Patients’ uses of ICT in healthcare reveal hidden inequalities and contribute to transforming the patient–doctor relationship. These findings highlight the need for primary care professionals to support equitable, informed, and shared digital health practices.