Here is the deep dive into what actually happens when you hit "download" on Google Fonts. Most developers never download fonts. They use the <link> tag. This is the "Google-Hosted" method. When you do this, the user’s browser pings Google’s servers to grab the font file (WOFF2, TTF, etc.).
Before you hit "Download family," ask yourself: Am I doing this for privacy, performance, or offline use? If the answer is just "because I want the file on my hard drive," use the official zip. If the answer is "to speed up my site," you are likely making a mistake. google web fonts free download
When you search for a download , you are rejecting the cloud. You are seeking self-hosting. Here is the deep dive into what actually