Processes in Microsoft 365 Insider for installing preview builds, activating subscriptions, and keeping apps up to date with the latest Insider features.
Your installed build 16.0.20326.20072 is documented as Current Channel (Preview), not Beta Channel, so update Office until About Excel shows a current Beta build before looking for preview UI features. ^1^
Correct the channel/build mismatch
- Close every Office application.
- Open Excel and select File → Account → Update Options → Update Now.
- Allow the update to complete, restart Excel, and check:
- File → Account: should show Beta Channel.
- File → Account → About Excel: record the new version and build.
- Compare that build with the Beta Channel release notes. Microsoft’s Beta notes also warn that features can be rolled out gradually, so two installations on the same build might not receive a feature simultaneously. ^2^
If updating leaves Excel on 20326.20072, the displayed channel and installed update channel are inconsistent. On a work-managed PC, ask the Microsoft 365 administrator to verify the assigned update channel; Microsoft documents the Office Deployment Tool, Configuration Manager, and Intune as supported Windows deployment methods. ^3^
About the two expected controls
- “Lists” on the ribbon: The available documentation does not establish a standard Excel Beta ribbon command with the exact label Lists, nor does it identify a minimum build or say that it requires 64-bit Excel. Therefore, reinstalling or repairing Office solely to expose that command is not yet justified.
- “Version 3” under Formulas → Calculation Options: Microsoft’s documented calculation choices include Automatic, Automatic except for data tables, and Manual. It does not document Version 3 as a standard Calculation Options entry. Additional settings are under File → Options → Formulas and File → Options → Advanced → Formulas. ^4^
If “Lists” means Custom Lists, it is not normally a ribbon tab. On Windows, open:
- File → Options → Advanced.
- Scroll to General.
- Select Edit Custom Lists.
That dialog creates lists used for sorting and fill sequences. ^5^
If the controls remain absent on a current Beta build
This may be a staged feature, a renamed control, or functionality tied to an add-in or specific preview announcement. Submit Excel → File → Feedback and include:
- A screenshot showing the expected Lists and Version 3 controls from the announcement or tutorial.
- File → Account showing Beta Channel.
- The complete About Excel version/build line.
- That the installation is 32-bit.
Microsoft specifically requests screenshots and diagnostic data when reporting Excel Insider-build issues. ^6^
References