URL links to files/folders (file://...) are not "clickable" anymore

Hi all,

I’m making an extensive use of URL link to files and folders on my MacOS drive: it enables me using some Bear notes as procedure on my laptop.

To do so, I’ve been using extensively this trick: Links to local files with blanks in the path are not shown as links - #2 by trix180

For a reason that I can’t explain, from time to time, those links in Bear notes are not “clickable” - e.g. when I click on a link, nothing happens…

I would assume it would be a security settings from MacOS but couldn’t find anything I could do that would solve the issue.

Has anyone faced the same issue and found a workaround / solution ?

Thanks in advance for your help.

1 Like

MacOS Sequoia has updated its security policy, restricting the ability to open arbitrary file paths. As a result, it’s no longer possible to open local links from apps unless those links are within the app’s sandbox.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much that can be done about it, either on our end or yours.

1 Like

Thanks for your feedback and help.

That’s a bummer!

I really need to be able to use direct links to local files in Bear, so I’ll look into macOS plugins that allow URL-based file access.

I was playing around with this the other week seeing if it would work to let me link notes to files. doesn’t work in Bear as you mention, curious though it works fine in obsidian and logseq.

in logseq for example, it requests access to the Documents location, and once allowed, it has access to the files there. seems both obsidian and loges simply request permission to access the the main root folder (documents, downloads, etc.)

This works fine in these other apps in Sequoia 15.3 Beta (24D5034f)
example (link created to local file, clicking the link requests permission if not already granted, then opens in the view pane (in the case of logseq, in obsidian it opens in the native Mac app for the appropriate file))

just needs permission to access the folder, logseq just asks automatically on first request

1 Like

Thanks for your feedback.

I must say that the possibility of linking files from my Bear notes onto any local file on my computer is a key functionality. My personal usage of Bear is about having a “second brain”. There are countless use cases where I need to be able to link a file (and not embedding it in the Bear notes itself):

  • procedures
  • thoughts and reflections
  • project notes
  • etc.

@matteo : I will post a feature request on this subject.

In parallel, I will investigate other solutions.

I’d like to avoid leaving Bear app on which I have +1.200 notes. But this is a mandatory use case for me.

Thanks.

Just posted this feature request : Implement security settings with macOS to enable functioning of URL link to local macOS folders and files

1 Like

I sorta get around this by indexing with DevonTHINK, and then using DevonTHINK URL’s to the object in bear.

1 Like

There are definitely workarounds to that situation. You mention DevonTHINK. There are other macOS plugin such as linkyourfile for instance (https://www.linkyourfile.com).

However, I can’t yet make up my mind whether I want to jump into such a solution which is adding another “layer” between the Bear app and macOS. I have to think this through to make my point of view on pros and cons.

Update : URL links to files and folders in my Bear notes work again…!

After proceeding to multiple tests, I’m coming with following diagnosis: depending on where you click on the URL link in the bear note, the “click” will be taken into account or not. It seems if you proceed to clicking on a “space” in the URL link, nothing occurs. One must precisely click on a “letter” in the URL description text.

Pretty awkward I must say… I’ll give it a few more tries to confirm this diagnosis…

Ok, that’s funny, it seems an Apple bug :roll_eyes:

Clicking won’t open the link, but clicking and holding a bit and then releasing will open it.

We’ll have to report the bug, so don’t rely on it :slight_smile:

2 Likes

Another update: it’s seems to be a bug of the Apple NSTextView, we might be able to work around that :tada:

3 Likes

After extensive tests, I confirm that this is not bug linked to any security settings of any kind. It’s just the URL links to files and folders that’s weirdly working.

There are 2 workarounds:

  1. click and hold for a second on the URL link to file and folder will open the Finder window normally
  2. click on multiple elements of the link

Based on my practices of those 2 workarounds, I recommend using the 1st one.

Thanks for everyone inputs !

1 Like

same issue, its working, but seems to only work when clicking on the file:/// component, or letters but not symbols or spaces, very weird, looks like some bug.

both your work arounds do the trick for now

1 Like