If you have problem with old devices try avoid to connect/read/write to a peripheral during scan.
Android API >= 23 require the ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION permission to scan for peripherals. React Native >= 0.33 natively support PermissionsAndroid like in the example.
Android API >= 29 require the ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION permission to scan for peripherals. React-Native 0.63.X started targeting Android API 29.
Before write, read or start notification you need to call retrieveServices method
Because location and bluetooth permissions are runtime permissions, you must request these permissions at runtime along with declaring them in your manifest.