Instead of using a selector You can solve this by setting the color programmatically.

So, first of all remove the selector xml file, and remove its relevant layout attribute.

Add the unread color to the dialog setCancelClickListener1() and the read color to the setConfirmClickListener using:
view.setBackgroundColor(getResources().getColor(R.color.light_orange));

The view is the root of the clicked ListView row; and you can get it from the arguments of the onItemClickcallback.

So, change the signature of the alert_dialog() method to accept a View:

text_listview.setOnItemClickListener(new AdapterView.OnItemClickListener() {
    @Override
    public void onItemClick(AdapterView<?> parent, View view, int position, long id) {

        alert_dialog(position, view); // <<<<<<<<<< here is the change

    }
});

And add adjusting the color in dialog clicks

public void alert_dialog(final int position, final View view){
    final SweetAlertDialog pDialog = new SweetAlertDialog(
            text_message.this, SweetAlertDialog.WARNING_TYPE);
    pDialog.setTitleText("Highlight data?");
    pDialog.setContentText("Please choose the corresponding details");
    pDialog.setCancelText("Unread!");
    pDialog.setConfirmText("Read!");
    pDialog.showCancelButton(true);
    pDialog.show();
    pDialog.setCancelable(false);
    pDialog.setCancelClickListener(new SweetAlertDialog.OnSweetClickListener() {
                @Override
                public void onClick(SweetAlertDialog sDialog) {
                    sDialog.setTitleText("Successfully save!")
                            .setContentText("Item mark as Unread")
                            .setConfirmText("OK")
                            .showCancelButton(false)
                            .setCancelClickListener(null)
                            .setConfirmClickListener(null)
                            .changeAlertType(SweetAlertDialog.SUCCESS_TYPE);
                            sDialog.setCanceledOnTouchOutside(false);
                    isSelected[position]=false;
                    // text_listview.setItemChecked(position,false); // No need to this line

                    view.setBackgroundColor(getResources().getColor(android.R.color.transparent)); // Setting a transparent color for the unread item
                }
            })
            .setConfirmClickListener(new SweetAlertDialog.OnSweetClickListener() {

                @Override
                public void onClick(SweetAlertDialog sDialog) {
                    sDialog.setTitleText("Successfully save!")
                            .setContentText("Item mark as Read")
                            .setConfirmText("OK")
                            .showCancelButton(false)
                            .setCancelClickListener(null)
                            .setConfirmClickListener(null)
                            .changeAlertType(SweetAlertDialog.SUCCESS_TYPE);
                            sDialog.setCanceledOnTouchOutside(false);
                    isSelected[position]=true;
                    // text_listview.setItemChecked(position,true); // No need to this
                   view.setBackgroundColor(getResources().getColor(R.color.light_orange)); // create  light_orange color resource in colors.xml
                }
            })
            .show();
            updateBooleanArray();
}

public void updateBooleanArray() {
        arrayAdapter = new ArrayAdapter(this,R.layout.list_item, list_items);
        text_listview.setAdapter(arrayAdapter);
        arrayAdapter.notifyDataSetChanged();
        boolean[] tempSelected=new boolean[arrayAdapter.getCount()];

        for(int i=0;i<isSelected.length;i++)
        {
             tempSelected[i]=isSelected[i];
             if(tempSelected[i])
             {
               text_listview.setItemChecked(i,true);
             }
        }

        isSelected = tempSelected;
}

I want to highlight a clicked ListView item after clicking the alert dialog box Read button; the code below works perfect, but the only issue is whenever I click the item, it’s highlighted with the color before the dialog shows.

I had doubt there is missing on my code, please check this out. Thank you

MainActivity.java

    private boolean[] isSelected; //global variable
    text_listview = findViewById(R.id.textlistview);
    arrayAdapter = new ArrayAdapter(this,R.layout.list_item, list_items);
    text_listview.setAdapter(arrayAdapter);
    isSelected=new boolean[arrayAdapter.getCount()];

    text_listview.setOnItemClickListener(new AdapterView.OnItemClickListener() {
        @Override
        public void onItemClick(AdapterView<?> parent, View view, int position, long id) {

            alert_dialog(position);

        }
    });
}


public void alert_dialog(final int position){
    final SweetAlertDialog pDialog = new SweetAlertDialog(
            text_message.this, SweetAlertDialog.WARNING_TYPE);
    pDialog.setTitleText("Highlight data?");
    pDialog.setContentText("Please choose the corresponding details");
    pDialog.setCancelText("Unread!");
    pDialog.setConfirmText("Read!");
    pDialog.showCancelButton(true);
    pDialog.show();
    pDialog.setCancelable(false);
    pDialog.setCancelClickListener(new SweetAlertDialog.OnSweetClickListener() {
                @Override
                public void onClick(SweetAlertDialog sDialog) {
                    sDialog.setTitleText("Successfully save!")
                            .setContentText("Item mark as Unread")
                            .setConfirmText("OK")
                            .showCancelButton(false)
                            .setCancelClickListener(null)
                            .setConfirmClickListener(null)
                            .changeAlertType(SweetAlertDialog.SUCCESS_TYPE);
                            sDialog.setCanceledOnTouchOutside(false);
                    isSelected[position]=false;
                    text_listview.setItemChecked(position,false);
                }
            })
            .setConfirmClickListener(new SweetAlertDialog.OnSweetClickListener() {

                @Override
                public void onClick(SweetAlertDialog sDialog) {
                    sDialog.setTitleText("Successfully save!")
                            .setContentText("Item mark as Read")
                            .setConfirmText("OK")
                            .showCancelButton(false)
                            .setCancelClickListener(null)
                            .setConfirmClickListener(null)
                            .changeAlertType(SweetAlertDialog.SUCCESS_TYPE);
                            sDialog.setCanceledOnTouchOutside(false);
                    isSelected[position]=true;
                    text_listview.setItemChecked(position,true);
                }
            })
            .show();
}

layout activitymain.xml

<ListView
    android_id="@+id/textlistview"
    android_layout_width="match_parent"
    android_choiceMode="multipleChoice"
    android_layout_height="match_parent" />

drawable myselecter

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<selector xmlns_android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<item
    android_drawable="@color/lightOrange" android_state_activated="true"
    /></selector>