translate function disappeared from Excel 365

Install the latest update for your current Microsoft 365 Insider channel; if TRANSLATE is still absent afterward, report it as an Insider build regression because the function remains documented for Excel for Microsoft 365 but no matching November 2026 known issue is currently published.

Update Excel and record the affected build

Your screenshot confirms that this Excel installation no longer recognizes TRANSLATE: it is missing from formula autocomplete, so existing formulas return #NAME?. Since the same result occurs in a new workbook, further workbook repair or formula changes are unlikely to help.

1. In Excel, select File → Account.
2. Under Product Information, note:
   • Update channel, such as Beta Channel or Current Channel (Preview)
   • Version and build number
   Microsoft documents this location for checking the installed channel and build.^1^
3. Select Update Options → Update Now.
4. Close and reopen Excel after installation.
5. In a blank cell, type =TRANSLATE( and check whether it appears in autocomplete.

TRANSLATE is still an official Microsoft 365 worksheet function with this syntax:^2^

=TRANSLATE(text, [source_language], [target_language])

For example:

=TRANSLATE(C7,"en","es")

Insider features can vary by channel and build. Beta receives features before Current Channel (Preview), but Microsoft states that Beta is unsupported and intended for testing rather than production use.^1^

If the latest build still does not recognize it

Report the regression from Excel → File → Feedback. Include:

• “TRANSLATE() disappeared and existing formulas now return #NAME?”
• Channel, version, and build from File → Account
• The approximate date it last worked
• Your screenshot
• Diagnostic data, if permitted

Microsoft specifically directs Excel Insider users to report build issues through File → Feedback and recommends including screenshots and diagnostic data.^3^

The current Excel for Windows issues page does not list this exact worksheet-function disappearance. Its translation-related entry concerns the separate Review → Translate feature returning “No results were found,” not TRANSLATE() producing #NAME?.^4^

Temporary workaround

Until the function returns, translate individual cells through:

1. Select the cell.
2. Choose Review → Translate.
3. Select the languages.
4. Copy the result from the translation pane and paste it into the required cell.

This requires an Internet connection and connected experiences to be enabled. In Excel, the translated result must be copied and pasted manually.^5^

If these formulas support important workbooks, avoid replacing them permanently with translated values. Keep the formulas intact in a backup copy so they recalculate when Microsoft restores function availability.

References

1. Overview of update channels for Microsoft 365 Apps
2. TRANSLATE function
3. Consolidated Insider release notes for Office 2016 for Windows desktop | Microsoft Support
4. Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in Excel for Windows
5. [Newer versions](https://support.microsoft.com/office/languages/translate-text-into-a-different-language)