diff --git a/CocoaTouch/include/BTstack/BTDevice.h b/CocoaTouch/include/BTstack/BTDevice.h
index 5856ea0f0..5659ce31a 100644
--- a/CocoaTouch/include/BTstack/BTDevice.h
+++ b/CocoaTouch/include/BTstack/BTDevice.h
@@ -74,11 +74,12 @@ typedef enum {
 }
 
 - (void) setAddress:(bd_addr_t*)addr;
+- (BOOL) setAddressFromString:(NSString *) addressString;
 - (bd_addr_t*) address;
 - (NSString *) toString;
 - (NSString *) addressString;
 + (NSString *) stringForAddress:(bd_addr_t*) address;
-
++ (BOOL)       address:(bd_addr_t *) address fromString:(NSString *) addressString;
 @property (readonly)          BluetoothDeviceType deviceType;
 @property (readonly)          NSString *          nameOrAddress;
 @property (nonatomic, copy)   NSString *          name;
diff --git a/CocoaTouch/src/BTDevice.m b/CocoaTouch/src/BTDevice.m
index a469fc80e..017059129 100644
--- a/CocoaTouch/src/BTDevice.m
+++ b/CocoaTouch/src/BTDevice.m
@@ -58,6 +58,10 @@
 	BD_ADDR_COPY( &_address, newAddr);
 }
 
+- (BOOL) setAddressFromString:(NSString *) addressString{
+	return [BTDevice address:&_address fromString:addressString];
+}
+
 - (bd_addr_t*) address{
 	return &_address;
 }
@@ -68,6 +72,32 @@
 			addr[3], addr[4], addr[5]];
 }
 
++ (BOOL) address:(bd_addr_t *)address fromString:(NSString *) addressString{
+	// support both : and - or NOTHING as separator
+	addressString = [addressString stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString:@":" withString:@""];
+	addressString = [addressString stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString:@"-" withString:@""];
+	if ([addressString length] != 12) return NO;
+	
+	unsigned int bd_addr_buffer[BD_ADDR_LEN];  //for sscanf, integer needed
+	// reset result buffer
+	int i;
+    for (i = 0; i < BD_ADDR_LEN; i++) {
+        bd_addr_buffer[i] = 0;
+    }
+    
+	// parse
+    int result = sscanf([addressString UTF8String], "%2x%2x%2x%2x%2x%2x", &bd_addr_buffer[0], &bd_addr_buffer[1], &bd_addr_buffer[2],
+						&bd_addr_buffer[3], &bd_addr_buffer[4], &bd_addr_buffer[5]);
+	// store
+	if (result == 6){
+		for (i = 0; i < BD_ADDR_LEN; i++) {
+			(*address)[i] = (uint8_t) bd_addr_buffer[i];
+		}
+		return YES;
+	}
+	return NO;
+}
+
 - (NSString *) nameOrAddress{
 	if (name) return name;
 	return [self addressString];