Photos, banner and bio are each checked by a person. Until they clear, the public sees a placeholder — you still see your own upload.
Every profile photo, banner and bio is reviewed by a real person before it is shown publicly. That is deliberate: it is a large part of why this platform's payments stay switched on when other creator platforms lose theirs.
What you see versus what everyone else sees
You always see your own upload. Nobody else does until it is approved. If your photo looks right to you but a friend sees a placeholder, that is review in progress, not a failed upload.
How long it takes
Assets are reviewed in the order they arrive. You will get an email and a notification the moment a decision is made — you do not need to check back.
If something is refused
You will be told which asset it was and why, in plain words. Replace just that one thing and it goes back into review automatically. Nothing else on your profile is affected.
Editing something already approved
An edit to a live photo, banner or bio does not take the current version down. The public keeps seeing the approved version until the new one clears review, and rejecting the change simply leaves your existing one in place.