diff --git a/scripts/langindex.json b/scripts/langindex.json
index f10a008d0..dc7ab8aa1 100644
--- a/scripts/langindex.json
+++ b/scripts/langindex.json
@@ -1467,6 +1467,8 @@
   "core.settings.cordovadeviceuuid": "local_moodlemobileapp",
   "core.settings.cordovaversion": "local_moodlemobileapp",
   "core.settings.currentlanguage": "moodle",
+  "core.settings.debugdisplay": "admin",
+  "core.settings.debugdisplaydescription": "local_moodlemobileapp",
   "core.settings.deletesitefiles": "local_moodlemobileapp",
   "core.settings.deletesitefilestitle": "local_moodlemobileapp",
   "core.settings.deviceinfo": "local_moodlemobileapp",
diff --git a/src/core/constants.ts b/src/core/constants.ts
index ac25f07b6..7a21655f9 100644
--- a/src/core/constants.ts
+++ b/src/core/constants.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ export class CoreConstants {
     static SETTINGS_RICH_TEXT_EDITOR = 'CoreSettingsRichTextEditor';
     static SETTINGS_NOTIFICATION_SOUND = 'CoreSettingsNotificationSound';
     static SETTINGS_SYNC_ONLY_ON_WIFI = 'CoreSettingsSyncOnlyOnWifi';
-    static SETTINGS_REPORT_IN_BACKGROUND = 'CoreSettingsReportInBackground';
+    static SETTINGS_DEBUG_DISPLAY = 'CoreSettingsDebugDisplay';
+    static SETTINGS_REPORT_IN_BACKGROUND = 'CoreSettingsReportInBackground'; // @deprecated since 3.5.0
 
     // WS constants.
     static WS_TIMEOUT = 30000;
diff --git a/src/core/settings/lang/en.json b/src/core/settings/lang/en.json
index 6e66023c2..1f9ebbfce 100644
--- a/src/core/settings/lang/en.json
+++ b/src/core/settings/lang/en.json
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
     "cordovadeviceuuid": "Cordova device UUID",
     "cordovaversion": "Cordova version",
     "currentlanguage": "Current language",
+    "debugdisplay": "Display debug messages",
+    "debugdisplaydescription": "If enabled, error modals will display more data about the error if possible.",
     "deletesitefiles": "Are you sure that you want to delete the downloaded files from the site '{{sitename}}'?",
     "deletesitefilestitle": "Delete site files",
     "deviceinfo": "Device info",
diff --git a/src/core/settings/pages/general/general.html b/src/core/settings/pages/general/general.html
index dbfb02209..d313a9d76 100644
--- a/src/core/settings/pages/general/general.html
+++ b/src/core/settings/pages/general/general.html
@@ -17,8 +17,11 @@
         </ion-label>
         <ion-toggle [(ngModel)]="richTextEditor" (ngModelChange)="richTextEditorChanged()"></ion-toggle>
     </ion-item>
-    <ion-item text-wrap *ngIf="showReport">
-        <ion-label><h2>{{ 'core.settings.reportinbackground' | translate }}</h2></ion-label>
-        <ion-toggle [(ngModel)]="reportInBackground" (ngModelChange)="reportInBackgroundChanged()"></ion-toggle>
+    <ion-item text-wrap>
+        <ion-label>
+            <h2>{{ 'core.settings.debugdisplay' | translate }}</h2>
+            <p>{{ 'core.settings.debugdisplaydescription' | translate }}</p>
+        </ion-label>
+        <ion-toggle [(ngModel)]="debugDisplay" (ngModelChange)="debugDisplayChanged()"></ion-toggle>
     </ion-item>
 </ion-content>
diff --git a/src/core/settings/pages/general/general.ts b/src/core/settings/pages/general/general.ts
index ab493b501..e6fbd9256 100644
--- a/src/core/settings/pages/general/general.ts
+++ b/src/core/settings/pages/general/general.ts
@@ -39,8 +39,7 @@ export class CoreSettingsGeneralPage {
     selectedLanguage: string;
     rteSupported: boolean;
     richTextEditor: boolean;
-    showReport: boolean;
-    reportInBackground: boolean;
+    debugDisplay: boolean;
 
     constructor(appProvider: CoreAppProvider, private configProvider: CoreConfigProvider, fileProvider: CoreFileProvider,
             private eventsProvider: CoreEventsProvider, private langProvider: CoreLangProvider,
@@ -60,12 +59,9 @@ export class CoreSettingsGeneralPage {
             });
         }
 
-        if (localStorage && localStorage.getItem && localStorage.setItem) {
-            this.showReport = true;
-            this.reportInBackground = parseInt(localStorage.getItem(CoreConstants.SETTINGS_REPORT_IN_BACKGROUND), 10) === 1;
-        } else {
-            this.showReport = false;
-        }
+        this.configProvider.get(CoreConstants.SETTINGS_DEBUG_DISPLAY, false).then((debugDisplay) => {
+            this.debugDisplay = !!debugDisplay;
+        });
     }
 
     /**
@@ -85,9 +81,10 @@ export class CoreSettingsGeneralPage {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Called when the report in background setting is enabled or disabled.
+     * Called when the debug display setting is enabled or disabled.
      */
-    reportInBackgroundChanged(): void {
-        localStorage.setItem(CoreConstants.SETTINGS_REPORT_IN_BACKGROUND, this.reportInBackground ? '1' : '0');
+    debugDisplayChanged(): void {
+        this.configProvider.set(CoreConstants.SETTINGS_DEBUG_DISPLAY, this.debugDisplay ? 1 : 0);
+        this.domUtils.setDebugDisplay(this.debugDisplay);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/providers/utils/dom.ts b/src/providers/utils/dom.ts
index ccd28ddc3..40c9fca57 100644
--- a/src/providers/utils/dom.ts
+++ b/src/providers/utils/dom.ts
@@ -40,11 +40,18 @@ export class CoreDomUtilsProvider {
     protected matchesFn: string; // Name of the "matches" function to use when simulating a closest call.
     protected instances: {[id: string]: any} = {}; // Store component/directive instances by id.
     protected lastInstanceId = 0;
+    protected debugDisplay = false; // Whether to display debug messages. Store it in a variable to make it synchronous.
 
     constructor(private translate: TranslateService, private loadingCtrl: LoadingController, private toastCtrl: ToastController,
             private alertCtrl: AlertController, private textUtils: CoreTextUtilsProvider, private appProvider: CoreAppProvider,
             private platform: Platform, private configProvider: CoreConfigProvider, private urlUtils: CoreUrlUtilsProvider,
-            private modalCtrl: ModalController, private sanitizer: DomSanitizer) { }
+            private modalCtrl: ModalController, private sanitizer: DomSanitizer) {
+
+        // Check if debug messages should be displayed.
+        configProvider.get(CoreConstants.SETTINGS_DEBUG_DISPLAY, false).then((debugDisplay) => {
+            this.debugDisplay = !!debugDisplay;
+        });
+    }
 
     /**
      * Equivalent to element.closest(). If the browser doesn't support element.closest, it will
@@ -841,6 +848,15 @@ export class CoreDomUtilsProvider {
         return this.scrollToElementBySelector(content, '.core-input-error', scrollParentClass);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Set whether debug messages should be displayed.
+     *
+     * @param {boolean} value Whether to display or not.
+     */
+    setDebugDisplay(value: boolean): void {
+        this.debugDisplay = value;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Show an alert modal with a button to close it.
      *
@@ -972,7 +988,14 @@ export class CoreDomUtilsProvider {
      * @return {Promise<Alert>} Promise resolved with the alert modal.
      */
     showErrorModal(error: any, needsTranslate?: boolean, autocloseTime?: number): Promise<Alert> {
+        let extraInfo;
+
         if (typeof error == 'object') {
+            if (this.debugDisplay && error.debuginfo) {
+                // Get the debug info. Escape the HTML so it is displayed as it is in the view.
+                extraInfo = this.textUtils.escapeHTML(error.debuginfo);
+            }
+
             // We received an object instead of a string. Search for common properties.
             if (error.coreCanceled) {
                 // It's a canceled error, don't display an error.
@@ -988,6 +1011,7 @@ export class CoreDomUtilsProvider {
             } else {
                 // No common properties found, just stringify it.
                 error = JSON.stringify(error);
+                extraInfo = ''; // No need to add extra info because it's already in the error.
             }
 
             // Try to remove tokens from the contents.
@@ -1002,7 +1026,11 @@ export class CoreDomUtilsProvider {
             return;
         }
 
-        const message = this.textUtils.decodeHTML(needsTranslate ? this.translate.instant(error) : error);
+        let message = this.textUtils.decodeHTML(needsTranslate ? this.translate.instant(error) : error);
+
+        if (extraInfo) {
+            message += '<br><br>' + extraInfo;
+        }
 
         return this.showAlert(this.getErrorTitle(message), message, undefined, autocloseTime);
     }
@@ -1022,13 +1050,13 @@ export class CoreDomUtilsProvider {
             return;
         }
 
+        let errorMessage = error;
+
         if (error && typeof error != 'string') {
-            error = error.message || error.error || error.content || error.body;
+            errorMessage = error.message || error.error || error.content || error.body;
         }
 
-        error = typeof error == 'string' ? error : defaultError;
-
-        return this.showErrorModal(error, needsTranslate, autocloseTime);
+        return this.showErrorModal(typeof errorMessage == 'string' ? error : defaultError, needsTranslate, autocloseTime);
     }
 
     /**