.htaccess issue with url

This url format https://portal.com/pages does not work but this https://portal.com/index.php/pages works.

I want to be able to remove the index.php from the url.

My root .htaccess file is

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
  RewriteEngine On
  RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
  # First rewrite to HTTPS:
  # Don't put www. here. If it is already there it will be included, if not
  # the subsequent rule will catch it.
  # RewriteRule .* https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
  # RewriteEngine On
  RewriteRule ^$ public/ [L]
  RewriteRule (.*) public/$1 [L]
  
</IfModule>

While public folder .htaccess file is

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
  Options -Multiviews
  RewriteEngine On
  RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
  RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
  RewriteRule ^(.+)$ index.php?url=$1 [QSA,L]
</IfModule>

Solution

Try following rules htaccess file. Make sure your index.php is present inside public folder. Please make sure to clear browser cache before testing your URLs.

root htaccess rules file:

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
  RewriteEngine On
  RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
  RewriteRule ^ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [NE,R=301,L]
  RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/public [NC]
  RewriteRule ^(.*)/?$ public/$1 [L]
</IfModule>

Public folder inside htaccess Rules file:

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
  RewriteOptions InheritBefore
  Options -Multiviews
  RewriteEngine On
  RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
  RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
  RewriteRule ^(.+)/?$ index.php?url=$1 [QSA,L]
</IfModule>

Fixes done in OP's attempt:

root htaccess Rules file didn't have https apply rule, so have added it.
Made public applying rule for all kind of urls.
Then in public folder rules file added InheritBefore option to make sure root's file is being inherited to public folder's htaccess rules file.