This setting has a lot to do with WordPress ‘Site Health’ check.

Inside wp-config.php file, add this line:

define( 'FS_METHOD', 'direct' );

The next step is to perform this in your WordPress installation directory:

# chown -R {$username}:www-data *

Note: www-data is for Debian/Ubuntu users. The group name may differ depending on the system you are using.

An extra step, just in case, is to leave the .htaccess file’s group as the default group of the user:

# chown {$username}:{$default-group} .htaccess